These Giant Flowers Can Leave You With Burns, Blisters And Scars For Life. Here's What You Need To Know About Giant Hogweed.

In nature, it is often better to look and not touch. And when it comes to a particular flower that can inspire awe with its great height, there is no better warning.

Giant hogweed is a massive, invasive plant in the United States and the United Kingdom that is as harmful as it is attractive. Its sap can cause human skin to burn, blister and even scar, and New York officials have made their position very clear on how people should interact with it: “Don’t touch this plant!”

“Brushing or breaking the plant releases sap that, combined with sunlight and moisture, can cause a severe burn within 24 to 48 hours,” says the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. web site.

In England, a giant pig is observed during the summer.

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It is often confused with the plant cow parsnip, but unlike native species, it has white flowers with 50 to 150 flowers in umbrella-shaped clusters that can span up to 2 1/2 feet in diameter. They can also grow to be between 7 and 14 feet tall.

London has seen a new call for caution about the plant after a man’s recent encounter with the plant. Daniel Logan said BBC news who may now be scarred for life after encountering a giant hogweed in west London’s Boston Manor Park.

“It’s been terrible, to be honest,” said the 21-year-old, adding that “he’s lucky … it’s just my ankle.”

“If a little kid falls in there, gets on their face or something, that’s going to cause them life-changing injuries,” he told BBC News. “If I had seen some signs, I wouldn’t have gone down into the woods. I just went in to get the ball for my brother, but if I had known what it was and what it could do to you, I definitely wouldn’t have gone in there.”

What happens if you touch a giant hogweed?

Photos shared with BBC News show Logan’s angle significantly swollen with a red rash and massive blisters. This is caused by the sap of the plant, according to the Royal Horticultural Societywhich it says “poses a serious risk to people who are unaware of its harmful potential.”

It was so painful for Logan that at one point, after his blisters developed, he “couldn’t even walk,” he told the Evening Standard.

“I got out of bed in the morning for work and collapsed under my own weight,” he said.

Along with blisters, burns, rashes and scarring, a 2009 study found that if the plant’s sap gets into the eyes, it can “cause temporary or possibly permanent blindness.”

“The sap is considered more toxic when the plant is in flower,” he said to study he says “If the skin comes into contact with giant hogweed, the exposed areas should be protected from sunlight and washed with cold water.”

from canada Center for Invasive Species he says the toxins in the sap become more problematic the longer it’s on the skin and in the sun.

“Ultraviolet radiation activates compounds in the sap, resulting in severe burns when exposed to the sun,” the Center says. “… Purple scars can form that can last for many years.”

A man stands among the withered trunks of a giant hogweed.

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Is giant hogweed toxic to animals?

The ASPCA has warned that the plant can be toxic to pets just as it is to humans. Dogs, cats and even horses are at risk of feeling its effects, the organization says, and are likely to suffer the same types of injuries as humans if exposed to the sap.

Pet service company Wag has also warned that an animal could develop a disorder called phytophotodermatitis, a skin reaction that humans can also experience from the plant, as well as something known as margarita cream. The reaction occurs when the skin is exposed to compounds called furanocoumarins, which make it more sensitive to the sun’s rays.

Where does giant hogweed come from?

giant hogweed is an invasive species in the US and UK that originated in southern Russia and Georgia. According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, it originated specifically in the Caucasus Mountains region and was introduced to the United Kingdom in the late 19th century and the United States in the early 20th century.

Hogweed is a poisonous plant, the burns of which lead to great difficulties.

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Where is it?

The plant is found throughout the UK, and in the US, the poisonous plant is commonly found in New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northwest, often growing along streams, rivers, fields, forests and roadsides.

“Prefers open sites with abundant light and moist soil,” say New York officials, “but can also grow in partially shaded habitats.”