04/08/2021
Beware of Giant Hogsw**d...
Back in the start of July, I thought I'd try a little de-w**ding. Unfortunately, I pulled up an extremely toxic plant. Giant Hogsw**d. It looks like a giant version of the harmless cow parsley plant. However, the sap of the w**d is extremely toxic to humans and animals, causing severe burns and blistering on the skin that last for several months.
The attached pictures are actually the healing stages after being put on antibiotics and having to go to hospital. It really impacted my work and I had to shut for a while. Even after a month later, I can't expose the area to direct sunlight and have to wear long sleeves and gloves every day, which is a little uncomfortable during summer. However, even the smallest exposure to UV triggers the rash again, as the skin remains sensitive to UV light for many years.
I thought I'd share this post to raise awareness and hopefully limit the horrible experience for others.
So what to look out for and do...
The Woodland Trust state you should look out for the following:
Stems: Green with purple blotches and stiff, white hairs. Stems are hollow with ridges and have a thick circle of hairs at base of each leaf stalk.
Leaves: Huge, up to 1.5m wide and 3m long and is deeply divided into smaller leaflets. It looks a bit like a rhubarb leaf, with irregular and very sharp or jagged edges – which has given rise to one of its other common names – wild rhubarb. The underside of the leaf is hairy.
Flowers: Appear in June and July. They are small and white (or slightly pink) and are clustered on umbrella-like heads known as umbels that can reach a diameter of 60cm. All the flowers on the umbel face upwards.
Seeds: Dry, flattened, and oval. Almost 1cm long with tan with brown lines extending 3/4 of the seed length.’
Anyone who touches Giant Hogw**d should wash the area thoroughly immediately, seek medical advice, and not expose the area to sunlight for a few days.
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