This is the time of year to be on the lookout for Giant Hogweed, a dangerous plant that can cause third-degree burns and even blindness.
That warning from the Nature Conservancy of Canada which is also urging Canadians to document the towering plant if they come across it. The plant has been discovered in all four Atlantic provinces, along with Quebec, across Ontario and BC.
“If you get the sap on you and you’re exposed to sunlight, it just triggers a severe burn because it’s so toxic,” says the NCC’s Andrew Holland.
“That’s something that people need to be alert to, because people may think that it’s very pretty and they may want to cut it and bring it to their garden. And a lot of people do that.”
It usually grows between 13 and 19 feet tall so it can shade out native vegetation and make it impossible for anything to grow underneath it.
If you find it you should have it removed professionally.
The NCC advises that you use the app iNaturalist to identify the plant.
