Giant Hog Weed has its origins in the orient, it is unknown how this plant managed to traverse the distance between Asia and North America but I think we can assume it was our fault, be it bad shipping procedures or some nutcase that thought it was pretty and wanted it for thier garden, doesn’t matter now. Giant Hog Weed is not so bad on its own as an invasive species, its not very prolific nor does it choke out other native species. No, the dastardly qualities of Giant Hog Weed lie in the fact that it contaisn asap that is highly photosensitive and should the plant become damaged the sap immediately seeps out and onto the attacker. This sap makes anything it touches highly photosensitive and should the sap be exposed to sunlight it can create a powerful chemical burn which WILL scar the affected area.
It is not difficult to control as it is just a simple weed, a quick spray of round-up and it’ll die, so control is not an issue, its find it that is the issues, it has spread over a fairly large area and it is difficult to find every patch, and so long as a single patch remains it will be around.
This plant really doesn’t have my ire, its a simple plant that defends itself from attack, it you leave it alone it will leave you alone, unlike the other pests I’ve mentioned which have all been infectious and devastating, so keep an eye out for this plant and you’ll be fine.
