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RE: Wednesday Walk - around the Cammo Estate

in Wednesday Walk5 months ago

Lovely views ! But those pretty flowers... yeah, that might just be giant hogweed. It could be native hogweed ( a slightly safer relative). Apart from the height (which you won't know until fully grown) and flowering season (which overlaps right about now...), it's possible to tell by the leaves - giant hogweed is more jagged with pointed leaf tips, native hogweed has broader more rounded leaves.

If it's the giant version the sap is a super-alkaloid. If you brush against it and get any of the sap on your skin, it'll burn like you wouldn't believe, leaving long-lasting blisters, photosensitivity and possible permanent scarring. Get it into your eyes, and it's off to A&E in a big hurry.

It's still pretty, though 😀

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I'm quite familiar with giant hogweed and its dangers. The tall plant I showed was not it. It was a heck of a lot thinner and more delicate. However, there is actually quite a lot of Giant Hog Weed on that estate and the river walk next to it. The river walk in particular has quite a lot of it further up, and it looks pretty impressive when you see it in a big path - it looks rather Jurassic !