NY DEC Warns That Giant Hogweed Plant Could Cause Blisters, Blindness
Quote: "New York State environmental officials are trying to nip a huge, dangerous plant in the bud. The giant hogweed, a monster plant with flowers the size of umbrellas and sap that causes blisters and blindness, is spreading across New York. The Department of Environmental Conservation is asking for help locating outbreaks. The agency has set up a hotline at 845-256-3111 for people to call and report sightings of the invasive species. Callers are asked to provide photos and site information, but should avoid touching the plant."
A few questions come to my mind.... Is this some sort of new infestation from somewhere else or have these plants been around a while and are just now becoming a problem? Have people actually been hurt or blinded by these? What does their newfound proliferation mean? Are they spreading because of changes in weather patterns?
Was "Little Shop of Horrors" really a documentary? ;)
Hey Chip, it looks like these grow out your way too: http://threatsummary.forestthreats.org/threats/threatSummaryViewer.cfm?threatID=113
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know. I looked at that map and it does appear to be present here in Oregon and Washington. I'll be keeping an eye on it for sure....
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