Posted on 04/15/2021 2:46:49 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Autumn Firth needed crutches after a chance encounter with the dreaded giant hogweed caused extremely painful burns to her feet
A teenage girl may need a skin graft after her flesh was burned away in a momentary brush with “Britain’s most dangerous plant”.
Autumn Firth, 13, was left on crutches after a chance encounter with the dreaded giant hogweed caused “extremely painful” burns to her feet. The teenager, from Denbigh, now has a long road to recovery before her.
“She was on the riverbank in Denbigh and she was barefoot,” said her dad Jonathan, 35.
“She stepped on a piece of the plant near the river. It was only seconds, but then she continued to play for another hour in the sun which may have made it worse. She didn’t feel any pain or discomfort all afternoon and evening, but she woke up at 5.55am to pain on her foot.
“She called me into her bedroom and said it felt like it was pulsating and tingling – she was terrified as she didn’t know what was happening to her foot."
He added: “I immediately took her to Glan Clwyd A&E when she was dressed. The doctors said they were deep and quite severe burns. She’s been on painkillers since and also using crutches. She has to return to the hospital for a check up and clean dressing every other day – she’s had special gel on her heel because it was so deep, to try to build the flesh back up.
“They have mentioned the possibility of her needing a skin graft on her heel but are seeing how it goes for the next few visits. They say it’ll take a long time to fully heal."
The sap of the giant hogweed stops the skin protecting itself against sunlight, leading to nasty burns when exposed to the sun’s rays. The plant is especially common along rivers, which can transport its seeds.
Mike Duddy, of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust, said in 2015 that the giant hogweed was “without a shadow of a doubt, the most dangerous plant in Britain”. In 2018 we reported how dad Nathan Davies almost lost his leg and was left with a huge "shark bite" scar after coming into contact with hogweed — you can read his story here.
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Mr Firth, who works with animals for a living, warned other parents to watch out. He said: “Autumn has really struggled, she’s usually very athletic and active, so it’s been difficult for her.
“She’s been really brave but obviously it’s pretty much preventing her normal daily life and this is two weeks later. Her friends at Denbigh High have been really supportive of her. Please just check before letting your kids play outside, it’s a huge plant so if it’s taught about then it’s more easily avoided.
“I’ve read it grows near streams and rivers as that’s how the seeds spread, so just be vigilant – it only takes moments to read about it enough to recognise it.”
The giant hogweed is native to the Caucasus, but was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in 1817, and its spread has now got out of control. If exposed to the plant, you should thoroughly wash the area that made contact and keep it out of sunlight for a few days, the Woodland Trust advises.
Nasty stuff
My brother and his son learned about this plant in their chemical classes for their weed control business
Is plant genocide ok?
I took my grandson fishing last year and we saw 40 or 50 giant hogweed plants along the footpath. I called the local government the next day and the following weekend, when we went fishing again, the plants looked like someone had taken a flamethrower to them.
What area?
Weed hog meant something totally different 40 years ago...
Buckhorn Island State Park, Grand Island, NY
I’ll bet my FIL’s goats would eat that crap up. Nothing stops them...
Man gives Nazi salute to weed plant. Film at 11:00.
In this case yes
It is an invasive species.
It is another gift of diversity.
It was brought here by Iranians for their use of the seeds in seasoning.
LOL! I knew someone would catch that!
From what I’m reading, it was brought to north America as an ornamental for use in gardens in New York and over time the seeds made their way into Canada. They’re not officially an invasive species, as they don’t choke out any other plant like, say, kudzu.
Some 2,4D mixed with laundry detergent would likely make it look that way. I use that stuff on my pasture every year, and it looks like someone selectively torched my lawn until I get to dethatching.
If you plan on traipsing through the woods in certain areas of North America this weekend, you’ll want to watch out for the giant hogweed plant.
[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/giant-hogweed-plant-blindness-skin-irritation_n_347902] According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, contact with the poisonous weed causes severe skin and eye irritation and may result in blindness and permanent scarring in people sensitive to the plant’s toxic sap.
The giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) may grow 14 feet tall and is characterized by a blossom of white umbrella-shaped flowers atop the plant. It may look similar to Queen Anne’s lace and cow parsnip, thus making it difficult to identify. (Some tips on how to tell giant hogweed apart from other common flowering plants can be found here and here.)
The invasive species started to bloom in certain areas in North America (see which, below) earlier this month. The Department of Natural Resources in several states has issued warnings, cautioning residents to stay away from the giant hogweed and report any sightings.
Anyone who comes in contact with the plant should wash the affected area of their skin with soap and water and keep out of the sunlight for 48 hours, since the effects develop over several days.
As Nature notes: “When the sunlight and the sap mix, chemicals from the sap, called furocoumarins, cause a phototoxic reaction to take place called phytophotodermatitis,” which causes blistering and rashes on the skin. If someone then touches his or her eyes, the sap has the potential to cause permanent blindness.
Though the giant hogweed is native to the Caucasus Mountains and southwest Asia, the invasive plant was introduced to New York around 1917.
See a map showing the giant hogweed’s current distribution in North America (in green) and a larger photo of the poisonous plant below.
Australia Giant Hogweed Map:
Looks like it will eventually get to where I am. How do we get rid of it?
This is one nasty plant and people should be away of it.
Pinging the gardening and outdoor wildlife list holders. Even the prepper one. People need to be aware of this horrible plant to avoid it.
I got into it last spring, here in Northern Virginia. It put me out of weed-whacking duties for more than 6 months. Shin blisters the size of Man-o-wars.
Never saw it but it saw me. Now, I wear rain gear and boots when I trim.
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