Yahoo News Gardeners warned as Britain to face record invasion of toxic plant that grows up to six meters tall
Britain is bracing for a record invasion of the toxic Giant Hogweed due to mild and wet weather conditions, experts have warned.
The invasive species, known as the UK's 'most dangerous' plant, has seen an early boom this year. The sap of the Giant Hogweed can cause severe burns that blister within 48 hours, often resulting in hospitalisation and permanent scarring.
In the past, landowners and gardeners who failed to clear the plant from their properties have been issued with anti-social behaviour orders. Now, Britain is preparing for a "huge year for the proliferation" of Giant Hogweed after the plant was spotted much earlier in the year than anticipated.
The plant, scientifically known as Heracleum Mantegazzianum, can grow up to six metres tall. Keith Gallacher, director of Complete Weed Control in Scotland, who handle ground maintenance and tree management, noticed young shoots of the rapidly-spreading plant emerging from winter dormancy in March.
Mr Gallacher said: "Our teams saw the much-earlier-than-expected appearance of the young Giant Hogweed during routine inspections in East Lothian, near Musselburgh. With such an early start, and with the rate of growth of which the plants are capable, it is likely that 2024 will be a bumper year for this rapacious invader."
Like many invasive species, such as Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam, it was brought to the UK as an architectural oddity, but now it has escaped and, without any natural enemies, it grows into dense colonies, especially along watercourses. "It is part of the Apiaceae family, which includes carrots, parsnip, cumin, coriander and parsley, but its dense foliage prevents light reaching the soil underneath, killing off native plants and leading to rapid soil erosion," Mr Gallacher explained.
He believes that the early showing of Giant Hogweed could have been caused by spring showers - with March seeing rainfall levels up by 27%. With the plant able to spread tens of thousands of seeds after flowering in mid-summer, Keith says that eliminating Giant Hogweed requires a concerted and sustained effort by all landowners in an affected area.
He said: "If you leave it too late, the plants get larger and become more difficult to spray, and require more herbicide. But if you do it too early and you get the torrential rains like we've had these last few weeks, the herbicide won't have much effect."
