[Closed] Beware of this plant - giant hogweed in Surrey

Another import to thank gardeners for

Definitely one to watch, our lodger is a tree surgeon and should know better but while working in a garden he exposed the skin on his arms and hands to giant hogweed whilst sorting a garden.
The burns were horrific, allegedly it's like the skin loses its protection from UV light. I don't know how true it is but he didn't work for a while after that.

This was a big story in the late 60s. They grew alongside the canal we used to fish on. The stems make brilliant peashooters but the sap causes blistering. Nasty.

Loads of it down by the river Ure at Boroughbridge, bastid to kill off as well AFAIK.

stems make brilliant peashooters but the sap causes blistering.

I think that's the smaller variety which ( I think, again,) Isn't a problem. I may be wrong.

Iv'e been doing my bit & pulling out Himalayan Balsam whenever I get a chance.

Back in the days of mitts I must have brushed through some as I ended up with blisters in the shape of Satan’s hoof print on the back of my hand.

Just asked him and yes it increases photosensitivity. His was made all the worse by working out in the sun for two days after exposure. Started as small white blisters, ended in burns and puss.

I was burnt by it when I was a kid, all the way up my legs; I still remember the blisters and pain vividly. Well done for reporting it, I hope they'll remove it soon

Aye there's tons of it all up the Clyde from Cambuslang up. The cycle path behind Westburn is entirely lined with it.

took these the other week:

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I've seen a few of these about at the roadside. Always wondered what plant it was. I'd heard about Giant Hogweed. I didn't know that was it until I looked it up as I can't see the OPs pics.

Aye there's a smaller variant that looks similar and isn't toxic, just simply called Hogweed, it's much much smaller. Giant Hogweed is much more massive and pretty unmistakable, the forrest there is about 12-15 feet tall.

I think also the shoots are an identifier, basically the flowery shoots on the smaller non toxic Hogweed will be about 10-15, on Giant Hogweed, more like 20+.

Place in Ireland where I went on holiday as a kid used to have giant hogweed, found them a bit foreboding, like tiffids. Not helped by being walloped over the head with hogweed trunks by sadistic cousins. Don't recall every having a reaction, but my son got a surprisingly bad burn just from trailing his hand through the weeds along a country track. Guess like anything your own sensitivity to the active compounds will vary substantially.

Used to be loads of it along the River Esk just outside Edinburgh when I lived there. It lined most of the paths. The council did a pretty good job of keeping on top of it but there were some railway lines and network rails did FA so it just repopulated from there. Nasty, nasty stuff.

As above, you can't really mistake it for normal hogweed. It's absolutely massive! Also the red speckled stems are a giveaway. Stay clear!

If you get it on you. Cover it up immediately with whatever you have even if it means going tapsaff.

I'd recommend downloading the plant tracker app. Take a photo and register it and its on the various databases. You can also register other non native species. Its also worth learning the leaves for identification. They're kind of like a really raggedy rhubarb in general plant shape the app also helps identify.

Its a spectacular plant if you see one standing on its own its quite. See it all the time inspecting railway bridges can make access impossible.

Err, tapsaff?

I had a mild encounter with it a few weeks back. This was the sap soaking through my trousers on a very wet day. I didn’t even notice it till the next day. A week of factor 40 suncream and it vanished with no lasting after effects.
I do think this was one of the smaller varieties though, many of them cause a similar reaction.

https://flic.kr/p/2geu9Qv

Used to be loads of it along the River Esk just outside Edinburgh

Someone just posted pictures on the local Midlothian Facebook page of their kid who brushed the hogweed - looks horrific.

Awful burns from that stuff my Dad warned me about it as a kid so always avoided it. We don’t get many up here but it does appear occasionally.

And no you didn’t make pea shooters out of it that was just normal hogweed.

Was found near Derby last year, got a lot of publicity in the local papers

UK needs to be a lot more like Canada in controlling plants that grow on land. All the agencies need to step up and take control of a situation that is getting worse

Whitestone - ‘tops off’.......tapsaff......sun comes out in Scotland and when it gets above 17c the tops come off, at least among some of the population. Said top is usually draped over one shoulder or stuffed in back pocket of trackies.

For those of you who can't see the image in the original post (apologies, my hopeless tech...)

The bridleway runs between the plants. The location is actually marked as a warning on Open Cycle Map here.

The location is actually marked as a warning on Open Cycle Map here.

Certainly seems prevalent in the Capel area; spotted in last year whilst at the Capel Military show and ive also see it this year in the Holmwood area. Nasty stuff

Aye there’s a smaller variant that looks similar and isn’t toxic, just simply called Hogweed, it’s much much smaller. Giant Hogweed is much more massive and pretty unmistakable

It's the huge ones I've seen, along the Edinburgh bypass.

I work near rivers in South/West Yorkshire (Ouse/Aire/Don) and it seems very prevalent this year. There's a programme to try and get on top of it by spraying by Councils/River Stewardship.

We have some in France too, called wild celery.

All the agencies need to step up and take control of a situation that is getting worse

Environment Agency spends over £2 million pounds a year on tackling invasive species.

Loads in Moray too. Not helped by the fertilzer-rich run-off from all the barley fields.

Environment Agency ineffectively spends over £2 million pounds a year on tackling invasive species.

If you don't tackle the problem properly it just gets bigger, the £2m will be for high profile complaints, it won't be anywhere near the cost of tackling the problem and they don't take enforcement action on landowners as they claim it's a local authority issue and Natural England stare at their feet and mutter about resources.

There are tree felling operations out there for various diseases where the Forestry Commission as the managing agency sign off on zero biosecurity measures as it's to difficult to apply their own latest guidance. So you get contractors operating in one forest stripping out diseased trees spreading the disease to all the subsequent places they work, it's a Ponzi scheme for the industry

Certainly seems prevalent in the Capel area; spotted in last year whilst at the Capel Military show and ive also see it this year in the Holmwood area. Nasty stuff

Posted 54 minutes ago

A few years ago, one of the larger houses up on Ranmore Common was cordoned off from a nearby trail as it underwent removal of GH. It tools weeks if not months to sort out.

Well, that's just shit management of biosecurity by the Forest Commission.

Well, that’s just shit management of biosecurity by the Forest Commission.

No it's the unwritten policy of a regulator who would rather make it easy for the contractor than actually apply the policy they write

OK @Big_N_Daft - you going to volunteer to pay more tax to fix it?

Thought not. I don't think "extra 0.2p on the pound to takle invasive species" is a vote-winner.

I agree with your sentiment, but having a rant at "the agencies" for being ineffective doesn't help. TBH - if everyone patrolled their local area with a big bag and rubber gloves whilst out on their usual rides to tonk the worst of 'em then that'd do the job. But it's always someone else's problem...

All because the Forestry Commission does that don't automatically think every other organization does.

A few years ago, one of the larger houses up on Ranmore Common was cordoned off from a nearby trail as it underwent removal of GH.

The old post office had Japanese Knotweed behind it and there was more down near the top of Golden Nugget which was dealt with but hadn't see the giant hogweed.

Plenty of Himalayan Balsam along many of the watercourses too!

Err, tapsaff?

https://www.taps-aff.co.uk/ is a handy forecast should you ever visit us.

Environment Agency spends over £2 million pounds a year on tackling invasive species.

That's peanuts. I worked on one job where they spent £200k clearing a bit of ground of envasive species to turn it into a carpark.

Is there anything we can do as trail users?

Can we target an area get togged up and chop it down?

Can we target an area get togged up and chop it down?

Not unless you fancy a prison sentence or large fine.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-the-spread-of-harmful-invasive-and-non-native-plants

You must not plant in the wild, or cause to grow in the wild, certain invasive and non-native plants. This can include moving contaminated soil or plant cuttings. If you do, you can be fined or sent to prison for up to 2 years.

You must not import, transport, keep, breed, sell, use or exchange, grow or cultivate, or release into the environment certain invasive alien species. If you do, you can be fined or sent to prison for up to 2 years.

It costs a fortune to remove legally, hence why so many land owners/managers do not bother and is also classed as special/hazardous waste so will need a waste carriers licence to take it away.

Government agencies, councils etc may not be responsible for a lot of it as a lot may be on private land. A lot of rights of ways, canal paths etc can pass between various land owners. A right of way is down to the land owner to sort out. They're obliged to keep it clear though.

Not sure about FC land where they just manage the land on behalf of a private owner. Is it the owner's responsibility to pay for it or the FC (thus public money)?

My arm after hogsweed.

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it’s everywhere in The West of England

Got splazed by some a few weeks ago in Herefs*, seen it all over Worcs and Cornwall, Glos, N Devon, S Shrops etc over last decade and is increasingly common if my confirmation doesn't deceive 😉

*luckily just the one blister and all healed now. was deep tho

*edit @princejohn - ouch 😬

So this scary stuff looks like massive cow parsley and the injuries look horrid.
Sounds like something from 'The day of the triffids' !

I've never heard of it before so thanks for the info.

I've had a response from Surrey County Council

Thank you for your enquiries regarding the giant hogweed along bridleway Newdigate 183. We are aware of the situation along this bridleway and we cut and spray the giant hogweed along this bridleway annually. This year the area officer has requested that the hogweed be sprayed twice, this was sent to our contractors on 12/07/19. The contractors will deal with this when they are next in the area.

And just a reminder the location is at grid ref TQ 191 384 near Lyne House in Surrey and marked on Open Cycle Map. here

Lol, brilliant reply from the council there.
It sounds like:
"We are aware of the problem and every year we do something which doesn't actually help."

@uberpod That seems to be the case. The council is only making the right of way safe but the landowner is still allowing the plants to grow nearby. So every year thousands of seeds get scattered. The law is not strong on the obligations of landowners to remove the plant.

There is no legal obligation to remove or treat giant hogweed as long as the landowner or occupier is not encouraging or allowing the growth on to adjacent land.

However, enforcement action could be taken against the landowner.

If the plant is obstructing a public footpath or otherwise can be deemed to be presenting a risk to human health local councils also have powers to compel landowners and occupiers to take action to avoid causing harm. Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 allows for enforcement action to be taken where the giant hogweed is, or is likely to be, prejudicial to health.

So allowing it to grow next to or across a bridleway would present a risk to human health.

In 2013 the UK government decreed that anyone failing to control giant hogweed (and other invasive weeds) could receive an anti-social behaviour order. It will be seen as committing a criminal offence. For an individual on-the-spot penalties of £100 can be issued, if prosecuted fines of up to £2500 and for companies up to £20,000.

So Surrey CC could do a number of things to force the landowner to take action. But I think it is likely that the local authority being strapped for cash (like most LAs) find it more cost-effective in the short-term to clear the plants from the bridleway with their own contractor rather than paying lawyers to take action against the landowner.

If you see GH while out biking please note the grid ref or location and report it.

We have this here and there around Berlin. But it was also about in SW England before I moved. Last year, I nearly rode into a few of these plants in high summer... so I made a mental note and went back in early spring and bashed them down with a long branch. Hopefully this has stunted them a bit and I will keep on doing it until the plants are gone. Unfortunately, there is a huge patch about 600m away from that patch, but I dont ride through there.

If everybody on here learnt what it looks like - particularly in spring, then a little vigilantism on the trails could help keep it under control. It may be a crime to spread the seed, but to bash down the plants when young shouldn't apply?

@bratty It would be better to note the exact location - co-ordinates, grid ref, etc - and report it to the rights of way officer at the local council and make others aware of it via social media and put a note on a fence post. If you are going to bash it with a branch (and I do not recommend you do this) you should have protective clothing including goggles. I'd say leave well alone and report it.

It’s worth noting that it’s not only the giant variety than can cause burns, quite a few other plants do similar things although giant hogweed is undoubtedly the worst.

https://commonsensehome.com/phytophotodermatitis/

I now avoid anything with little white flowers!

This is pretty scary stuff. Thankfully I haven't seen this where I am (North London bordering into Hertfordshire)

Being able to spot the tall ones seems pretty obvious, there's little else that huge, I guess the problem is when small and on it's way up - no chance of me spotting it then.

Worst we have is brambles and nettles, which regularly seem to shred my arms and legs

Not just the plants out for us. Oak Processionary Moth Caterpillars are pretty nasty and are present in Surrey, living in oak trees. Toxic hairs that cause rashes and breathing difficulties and they can spread on the wind or brushing past.

Not just the plants out for us.

So the advice is to get a Turbo Trainer and stay safely indoors?

😉

Three of four of us who did the South Downs Way in a day last Saturday have blisters from brushing against giant hogweed somewhere along the route. Fairly unpleasant surprise to see a burn on my wrist on Monday morning, but the other two have several really sizeable blisters about 5cm across. Annoyingly I didn't note down where I saw tall white blooms (Which I'd assumed were cow parsley) - be aware if you're on the SDW.

@Bent-udder I had a lucky escape - I did SDW last year. It is likely top be found alongside a river or stream. This is a useful guide on how to recognise it and distringuish it from cow parsley.

On a kinda related note, a friend of mine who lives in Queensland came off his bike the other year into a Gympie Gympie Bush. He still feels pain where he was stung after all this time.

Apparently the only treatment that can help is washing the site with dilute hydrochloric acid and then using waxing strips to try and get the plant stingers out!

There are stories of a military officer, who was stung by a gympie gympie during WW2, shooting himself due to the pain being so unbearable!

Another reason not to go to Australia!