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'"Giant Hogweed" sounds like a mythical plant that the students of Hogwarts may study, but it's real -- and it's dangerous. The plant grows in the wild and touching it can cause third-degree burns and even blindness. Giant hogweed was recently spotted in Virginia for the first time and may also grow in other states. Warnings have been issued in previous years after discoveries in Michigan, New York and elsewhere in the Northeast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest.'
It is also called wild parsnip. I've often seen it, and seen the signs warning of it, but I've never had an issue.
Of course, it's an invasive - from the Caucuses. One of the banes of the world is idiots introducing species into ecosystems in which they have no place. One of two things usually happens: being unsuited, they rapidly die out; or, having no natural checks, they run amok.
I wonder how much worse this plant is than domestic, edible parsnips. I once let a large patch of parsnips that had overwintered in my garden sprout too much before I dug them up in the spring, and I ended up with horrible blisters on my arms from the stem juices, and for a while I thought I was going to be left with permanent scars. This sounds similar, but perhaps faster-acting.
I also wonder if the root on this thing is poisonous? I know some other wild plants in the carrot family have roots that are deadly if injested.
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