Hogweed species how to distinguish. Edible and poisonous species of hogweed

Which beautiful plant! tall stem, large carved leaves of saturated green color, small white, sometimes greenish-yellow or bright pink flowers, collected in large complex umbrellas - this is hogweed.

Its scientific name - Heracleum - comes from the Greek hero Hercules. Hogweed, like an ancient hero, has great vitality and grows rapidly - by 10-12 cm a day. It reaches truly gigantic sizes: height - up to 4 m, leaves - up to 1 sq.m, a central umbrella from many, about 100, small umbrellas - up to 60 cm in diameter, and a few side umbrellas, a little smaller. Perhaps this is the largest herbaceous plant in our places.

In the morning there is so much dew on the leaves that you can wash your hands. However, do not rush to approach this handsome man - it is dangerous. If you touch it, you risk getting a 2nd degree burn.

Hogweed, which belongs to the umbrella family, has about 70 species. Several of them grow in our country, and they are dangerous to humans to varying degrees.

Sosnovsky's cow parsnip, imported after the Second World War from the Caucasus, became the most widespread, which spread to middle lane Russia everywhere and turned into a natural disaster, forming thickets in places.

It is extremely tenacious: it can withstand frosts up to 10 degrees, resistant to pesticides and very unpretentious to the conditions.

What's so terrible about "hell"?

Dangerous cow parsnip is made by toxic substances that it releases into the atmosphere. These are coumarins and essential oils that cause burns upon contact with any part of the plant, and can cause various painful conditions: nausea, vomiting, headache, up to loss of consciousness, if you stay near the plant for a long time.

Hogweed is especially dangerous during flowering - from mid-July to late August.

The reaction from contact with hogweed does not appear immediately, but after some time - from several hours to several days.

Hogweed juice, hitting the open areas skin, increases its sensitivity to sunlight, under the influence of which burns and blisters appear.

Moreover, the risk of a burn under the action of sunlight does not decrease and persists for several days, even if contact with the plant occurred in the evening or at night, and even if the burn is treated.

The Moscow Burns Center admitted victims of burns caused by contact with cow parsnip, which accounted for up to 50% of the body surface.

A big threat, in some cases even fatal, is hogweed for allergic people, and especially for whom essential oils are an allergen.

In such a case, the larynx swells, which can lead to death due to the fact that the victim suffocates.

"What to do?"

To protect yourself from hogweed burns, the main thing is not to touch it. This is especially true for children who are very mobile and often not careful enough.

Therefore, it is necessary to show everyone this extremely dangerous plant to prevent accidental contact with him out of ignorance.

If you nevertheless touched any part of the hogweed, then immediately after contact with it, you must:

protect the affected areas from sunlight for at least two days; wash the affected areas thoroughly with soap and water; treat with alcohol (degreases the skin, which weakens the lesion) or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, or apply a lotion from a solution of furacelin. You can pour novocaine to relieve pain; take an antiallergic medicine (diazolin, etc.); lubricate the affected areas with a burn remedy. To do this, you can use the aerosol "Panthenol", etc.

After providing first aid, you must consult a doctor.

If the burn has affected the eyes, mouth, or other mucous membranes, a doctor should be consulted as urgently as possible.

It should be borne in mind that the reaction to contact with hogweed is individual. Very sensitive to hogweed burns, for example, blondes with fair skin.

Of course, other types of hogweed are less dangerous to humans than Sosnowsky's hogweed. However, they are quite difficult to distinguish for a non-specialist. Therefore, it is better to be careful with all types of this plant.

Be vigilant yourself and be sure to explain to the children how dangerous cow parsnip is!

In Russia, cow parsnip (Heracleum) is quite common. The poisonous plant belongs to the Umbelliferae family and the genus Hogweed. This genus is represented by several species with some botanical differences.

Hogweeds are predominantly biennial, rarely perennial grass, which is able to form whole thickets. The stem part different types has a different height and can vary between 20-250 cm. Most often, the stem part is hollow, with a rare pubescence. The northern species looks somewhat different and has pubescence along its entire length.

The leaves are collected in a characteristic basal rosette. The foliage is long-petiolate, very large, may be trifoliate, double-triple-divided or pinnatipartite, with segments of various shapes. The flowers are small, most often white. Sometimes the plant forms flowers of greenish-yellow or bright pink color, collected in complex umbrellas. Usually, flowering occurs in June-July, after which a fruit is formed, which is called a visloplodnik.

The biennial grows most often in temperate regions in Eastern hemisphere. Forty species grow in our country. Sosnovsky's cow parsnip, whose homeland is the North Caucasus, has become especially widespread. Hogweed is dangerous to humans, which is why it is necessary to remove the weed from the backyard or garden plot as soon as possible.

Features of hogweed (video)

Gallery: hogweed (25 photos)

Characteristics of plant species

According to various experts, the genus includes from forty to seventy species. The consequences of exposure to the plant are severe burns. Particularly problematic areas in terms of distribution are regions such as the northern, northwestern and central regions.

Common hogweed

Neraslēum shondylīum is a Eurasian and North African large biennial herbaceous plant with a stem part and leaves covered with stiff hairs. The stem part is thick, furrowed and hollow.

Common cow parsnip (Heraclēum sphondylīum)

Siberian hogweed

Neracleum sibíriсum - herbaceous biennial or perennial with a strong tap root. The stem part is single, more than one and a half meters high, hollow, rough and ribbed, pubescent with bristles and branching in the upper part, with a slight spicy aroma. Large leaves are rough and rough, rounded ovoid. Inflorescence complex-umbellate.

Siberian hogweed (Heracleum sibíriсum)

Hogweed Mantegazzi

Neracleum mantegazzianum is the largest of the representatives belonging to the Umbelliferae family. The stem is thick, purple in color, with dense green foliage. Inflorescences are represented by a complex umbrella, collected from white flowers.

Hogweed Mantegazzi (Heracleum mantegazzianum)

Hogweed Sosnovsky

Neracleum sosnowskyi is a large herbaceous species over a meter high. The stem part is of a furrowed-ribbed type, rough, partially fleecy, purple in color, with large trifoliate or pinnately dissected leaves of yellowish-green color. root system rod type. Large inflorescences are complex umbellate, collected from white or pinkish flowers.

Sosnowsky's cow parsnip (Heracleum sosnowskyi)

hogweed shaggy

Bear's paw (Heracleum villosum) is a biennial plant with a thick, spindle-shaped, white root and erect stem, up to one and a half meters high, rounded in shape, with characteristic grooves. The foliage is round, petiolate, elliptical in shape, with pubescence. Basal foliage is larger. Flowers of bisexual type, small size, white color collected in complex umbrella inflorescences.

Hairy hogweed (Heracleum villosum)

Poisonousness and harm of the plant

The giant hogweed is very dangerous for humans, so the fight against it must be carried out correctly. The poison can cause disturbances in the functioning of the human respiratory system. Most often, the plant grows in fields, on the territory of personal and garden plots, along the banks of reservoirs, as well as in wastelands.

The greatest risk is found in summer period when severe allergic reactions can be caused by the smell of the plant, pollen, as well as plant sap containing coumarin and essential oils. In case of poisoning, nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness are noted. The juice of the plant causes severe redness and burning, blistering, and in some cases an increase in body temperature.

How to get rid of hogweed (video)

Ways to destroy hogweed as a weed

There are several ways to destroy the hogweed on the site. Before dealing with such weeds, it is necessary to determine the scale of the disaster and choose the most effective way:

In the conditions of household plots, as well as in summer cottages, most often the destruction of hogweed is carried out by thorough plowing of the soil during the growing season several times. Enough good result gives pruning of the root system of plants by means of standard garden flat cutters. Very important observe the depth of pruning of the roots at the level of 3-10 cm, which allows you to eliminate the growth point of the garden weed.

If, after repeated plowing, the weeds on the site still sprout, then it is necessary to carry out a similar event several more times. To completely destroy the cow parsnip, you need to regularly plow the soil in the affected area for several years.

Burning the aerial part of the hogweed - the method is used exclusively during the period of seed ripening

Useful and medicinal properties of hogweed

AT official medicine the plant is not widely used, but it is used quite often in folk remedies, due to the high concentration of components such as alkaloids, resins, furocoumarin, flavonoids, glutamine, carotene, trace elements, arginine, tannins. The composition has:

• sugars - 10%;
• protein - 16%;
• essential oils - 2.0%;
• microelements and macroelements - 7.6%;
• fiber - 23%;
• vitamins - 2.0%.

The juice used in the treatment of purulent wounds and ulcers, with asthmatic attacks. Roots effective in liver diseases, as well as in the treatment of jaundice and psoriasis. As practice shows, folk remedies contribute to the production of male sex hormones and have a detrimental effect on fungi.

The plant has an antispasmodic, calming effect and is used for nervous tics., hysteria, neurosis-like disorders, skin diseases, epileptic seizures, and is also characterized by pronounced hemostatic and choleretic properties. AT folk medicine decoctions cope with toothache and fever, as well as inflammatory processes in the lymph nodes. They can help with scabies, as well as in the treatment of gynecological diseases and tumors.

The tincture is used in the treatment of diarrhea, flatulence and gastroenteritis. The rhizome and ripened fruits are widely known as an effective choleretic agent and are used for cholelithiasis and liver diseases. The fruits have also proven effective in the treatment of depression, spasmodic pain and hysteria.

Walking on fresh air, picnics, mushroom picking are often accompanied by contact with various plants. However, not all of them are safe for human body. To ensure that you have only positive impressions when you return home, you need to know how to recognize dangerous enemy and what to do in case of burns with cow parsnip.

plant description

Hogweed is a plant of the umbrella family, which grows in the middle lane and other regions of Russia. Its height can exceed 1.5 m. The grass has a powerful ribbed stem covered with hairs and large leaves up to 0.5 m long. The branches are located at the top of the plant.

There are about 70 species of hogweed, many of which have healing properties and are used to treat animals for helminths, to prepare drugs for pain in the liver, jaundice, asthma, psoriasis, epilepsy. In addition, hogweed contains useful micro- and macroelements, which allows it to be used as a component of silage for cattle. These varieties include, for example, Siberian hogweed.

However, some species pose a risk to human health, in particular Sosnowski's hogweed. Toxic substances (coumarin, essential oils) are found in the juice and pollen of the plant. When in contact with the body, they cause inflammation of the skin, similar to sunburn. Hog parsnip is most poisonous in summer during the flowering period.

You can distinguish a harmless hogweed from a poisonous one by appearance. The safe variety has yellow-green flowers and thin sharp leaves. Hogweed has a white inflorescence, jagged edges of leaves, stem hairs have purple blotches, and the plant itself is much larger.

What does a hogweed look like (gallery)

Symptoms

The furocoumarins contained in hogweed increase the sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet radiation. Even with the slightest exposure to sunlight, after contact with the plant, signs of a burn begin to appear on the skin. The rate of onset of the first symptoms depends not only on the weather, but also on individual features body, and can be from several minutes to 2-3 hours.

Primary symptoms include:

• moderate redness;
• slight itching;
• swelling.

With a more severe lesion, blisters filled with a clear liquid form on the skin, pain is felt. Severe swelling can cause joint immobility. The body is able to react to the penetration of toxic substances with fever, vomiting, weakness.

First aid

Upon contact with hogweed, a number of actions should be taken immediately to minimize the consequences:

• if there are no bubbles, thoroughly rinse the contact area running water with soap. Formed blisters should not be wetted;
• immediately hide in the shade, and apply a tight bandage to the affected area to protect against ultraviolet rays. Avoid sun exposure for the next few days;
• to degrease the skin, treat it with alcohol or a solution of potassium permanganate or furacilin;
• after a few hours, apply an oak bark lotion to the burn or strong tea. It will allow the skin to dry out and reduce inflammation;
• lubricate the affected areas with one of the anti-burn agents (Panthenol, Opazol, Rescuer cream).

In order to avoid infection, clay or earth should not be applied to damaged areas, make lotions from urine or milk, lubricate the burn with fat, open blisters.

In some cases, self-treatment of a burn from hogweed is unacceptable. These include:

1. Burns of the head, face, feet, mucous membranes.
2. Damage to more than 10% of the skin of the entire body area.
3. High degree of damage (large blisters, deep ulcers).
4. High body temperature.
5. A significant manifestation of an allergic reaction.

Treatment

Drug treatment of a burn from hogweed differs from the treatment of thermal burns, so it should be carried out only as prescribed by a doctor. To restore the body after poisoning with plant poison, along with anti-burn ointments, the following are used:

• activated charcoal tablets;
• antibacterial drugs;
• antihistamines;
• hormone-containing and homeopathic ointments.

If severe pain occurs, it is advisable to take painkillers. The restoration of the skin is favorably affected by the intake of vitamins A and E. Specific drugs and the treatment regimen is prescribed by the doctor on an individual basis. In some cases, it is necessary to open the bubble and draw out the liquid from it.

There are also folk methods burn treatment with cow parsnip:

1. Decoction of burnet. Pour a tablespoon of the crushed rhizome of the plant into a glass hot water and insist on a water bath for 20 minutes. Use the resulting decoction to wash the affected areas and apply lotions.
2. Infusion of oak bark. Take 1 tsp. chopped oak bark and pour a glass of boiling water. After an hour, strain the broth and use to prepare lotions for burns.
3. . The oil has disinfectant and wound healing properties.

Burn treatment gallery

Infusion of oak bark Decoction of burnet
Hormone-containing ointments
Antihistamines, for example, Suprastin Antibacterial drugs, such as Dioxinor Activated carbon

The consequences of contact with hogweed

As a result of a burn with hogweed, skin may remain dark spots, ulcers form on the body, healing for several months and leaving behind dark spots on the long years. In especially severe cases, scars form, which have to be removed surgically. If more than 80% of the body is affected, death is possible.

Hogweed poses the greatest danger to people with allergies. After inhalation of pollen, coughing, sneezing, tearing, skin rashes occur. Swelling of the larynx can lead to death.

Most severe consequences from negative impact cow parsnip is experienced by people with fair skin and hair, as well as children.

Precautionary measures

No one is safe from meeting with hogweed, so you need to know what the plant looks like and what danger it poses to human health. In an accessible form, convey this information to children who most often suffer from poisonous grass.

If you find a cow parsnip in your yard, surroundings or on the territory of your summer cottage, be sure to take care of its destruction. Work must be carried out before the flowering period of the plant, after watering it. Be sure to wear thick protective clothing, rubber boots and gloves, a hat, eye protection goggles. Pruning and weeding should be done with tools, avoiding contact with the plant.

Going on a country walk, protect your body from possible contact with hogweed and other poisonous herbs tight clothing and closed shoes. The first-aid kit should contain laundry soap, furatsilin, baby powder, and an antihistamine.

How to distinguish Sosnovsky's hogweed from Siberian: video

Hogweed is a dangerous poisonous plant, the existence of which should be known not only to rural, but also to urban residents, since the grass often grows in parks and residential yards. Caution and timely provision of the first medical care will help reduce the effects of contact with cow parsnip.

Hog parsnip is a perennial of the Umbelliferae order, adapted in the Eastern Hemisphere (within the temperate zone), however, it is known that one species “brought” into the North. America. There are 52 species of hogweed in total.

The plant has an extremely interesting story its name. According to the first version, "borscht" is something jagged - because of the shape of the leaf. According to another version, the cow parsnip was called the "bear's paw". In Russia, the cow parsnip was also called "angelica", classifying the cow parsnip to the genera Kupyr, Dudnik. Despite the fact that K. Liney had never seen giant hogweeds of Caucasian species, he gave the name to the plant Heracleum (hero of myths ancient greece, distinguished by its strength) - the reason for this was the high growth rate of shoots and big sizes.

The main part of the herbs of the genus hogweed are biennials, perennials are less common.

• The stems are hollow inside, they can reach a height of 50-250 cm. Pubescence occurs on the stems - in the northern species, the entire stem is pubescent, in the rest the pubescence is rare;
• Leaves - have long petioles, through which they are attached to the stem, form a basal rosette. They are large and segmented different forms- pinnately-partite, triple-doubly separate, pinnate-partite, triple-partite;
• The flowers are small, white (there are green-yellow, pink). Flowers are folded into complex umbrellas, which can reach large (40-50 cm in diameter) sizes. The flowering of cow parsnip begins in June, ends in July, and some species - in August;
• The fruits are two-seeded, their ripening occurs in July-September. The type of fruit is a visloplodnik, which is characterized by rapid shedding.

Hogweed range

Hog parsnip has been successfully adapted in the Eastern Hemisphere (one species is known in North America). Widespread in temperate latitudes. The European part of Russia, in the Crimea, Ciscaucasia, in Kazakhstan and in Siberia (western part) Siberian hogweed - Heracleum sibiricum is widespread.

Sosnovsky's hogweed is an industrial crop grown for the purpose of obtaining silage, it is ubiquitous. From the fields, he moved into the wild - the banks of rivers and lakes, near roads, in wastelands. The fact that the cow parsnip easily and quickly develops new territories has become environmental problem in Germany, the Czech Republic, the Scandinavian countries, Belarus and Estonia - this is an incomplete list of countries that have legally sound programs to combat this plant species.

What is dangerous hogweed?

Not all types of Hogweed are dangerous, since not all of them contain photosensitizing substances; when they get on the skin, they cause an allergic reaction - dermatitis. A dangerous substance - furanocoumarin - can affect the skin of large mammals and humans.

This weed grows in the northern, northwestern, as well as central and northern regions of Russia. It reproduces extremely quickly, but any measures to prevent colonization by hogweed wildlife has not been undertaken. But actions to combat hogweed are mandatory - it causes severe burns, which is dangerous for humans and animals.

It became so toxic due to the fact that its leaves contain a lot of essential oils. Some species of this plant can cause severe irritation and skin burns. This is due to furanocoumarins, which cause hypersensitivity to UV radiation. That is, the clearer and sunnier the weather was at the time of the burn, the deeper and stronger the lesion will be.

Burns received from hogweed can be classified as burns of the 2nd degree - the skin is edematous, hyperemic, later blisters form with a clear liquid. Lesions on the skin can occur within a few hours after contact with cow parsnip, but may appear several days later.

It is important to know! Contact with the plant does not give any sensation of discomfort - burning, pain. The skin on which the juice has come into contact may be slightly irradiated, but burns will still appear.

Hogweed causes contact and respiratory allergies. Its smell is strong and sharp, reminiscent of kerosene, sometimes it is felt within a radius of 5 meters. The juice this plant so toxic that contact with the mucous membranes of the eyes can cause blindness. known sad stories children who lost their sight after playing with hollow stems of hogweed - they used them as telescopes and spyglasses.

Burns from cow parsnip, affecting more than 80% of the skin on the body, can cause death in humans. There is a risk group - people who are most affected by hogweed toxins - children and the elderly, people with allergies, as well as those with delicate and thin skin (blond people usually have such skin).

Urgent care

If contact still could not be avoided, it is necessary to wash the affected area with a weakly alkaline solution (water with laundry soap). Treat the wound with an antiseptic solution - potassium permanganate, furatsilin, alcohol solutions. Isolate the affected area from contact with direct sunlight, while bandaging the wound is not recommended.

The use of hogweed.

Hogweed is used:

• As ornamental plants- Heracleum pubescens, Heracleum mantegazzianum;
• As silage feed - for feeding livestock;
• Some varieties can be used for human food (Siberian hogweed), despite their toxicity;
• Musical instruments from overwintered hogweed stalks - reinstiki (percussion), kalyuk (folk musical instrument like a flute).

The main species cultivated for silage are common hogweed - Heracleum sphondylium, and Sosnowsky's hogweed - Heracleum sosnowskyi. The latter was introduced into culture in the middle of the 20th century - due to high performance yields as feed or silage. Hogweed Sosnowski demonstrates indeed high yields- more than 2.5 thousand centners per 1 ha. Sugar indicators - 3% wet weight. The disadvantage is the rapid "running wild", which negatively affects the plants of the local flora. For this reason, Sosnowski's hogweed is no longer cultivated as an industrial crop, since the toxicity of the juice of this plant should be added to other disadvantages.

Stems and leaves are eaten, as well as young shoots of hogweed. It is used in raw, salted, pickled forms. Some housewives use cow parsnip as a seasoning for different dishes. Stems with undeveloped flowers have a delicate structure - they are eaten in a salty form, preliminarily doused with boiling water. The same shoots can be fried in oil with flour, or raw. Heracleum villosum - hairy hogweed - spice. It has been used in the preparation of pickled cheeses in the Transcaucasus.

The number of plants harmful to humans is constantly increasing, so the question of whether hogweed is poisonous plant occurs regularly. Some species are dangerous to humans, others are not. Therefore, it is necessary to know why hogweed is harmful, how it looks and where it grows in order to prevent unpleasant health consequences.

How to recognize hogweed

general characteristics

Hogweed is a plant belonging to the umbrella family, which has about 70 varieties. The plant is predominantly perennial. It has a dense stem, the average height is usually 1.5 meters, but specimens have been recorded reaching a height of 4 meters. The leaves are fleshy, reach 0.5 meters in length, the surface is smooth with villi in the middle.

Poison hogweed inflorescence

The period of active flowering is June and July, fruiting occurs in August. Flowers may be white, greenish-yellow, with pink tint, are collected in small inflorescences in the form of umbrellas, which together form an inflorescence with a diameter of up to 0.6 meters. It has a high degree of survival, has powerful roots and reproduces independently.

General description of the plant for poisonous and normal look the same, since the danger of hogweed is its chemical properties.

Types of hogweed and their differences

Hogweed came to Russia from the Caucasus and was quite popular in the agricultural sector, as it was classified as a silage species. As its features were studied, the benefits and harms changed places. We can assume that hogweed is the most dangerous plant in Russia., because it is not so easy to determine a species in which there is no danger to humans, it belongs to weeds and multiplies uncontrollably. It carries a danger to other types of vegetation, as it easily displaces them from the area.

Dangerous plant species

Common varieties, contact with which is harmful to the body:

How to deal with a dangerous plant

1. Sosnovsky's hogweed is a plant that stands out for its powerful appearance, can grow up to three meters in height. Lives for 2 years, but sometimes degenerates into a perennial. Characterized by many green leaves, the inflorescence consists of large white or pink flowers.
2. Wild hogweed - usually lives in the southern part of Russia at the foot of the mountains. It grows up to 2 meters in height, the color of the inflorescences is white, it belongs to the biennial.
3. Hogweed Mantegazzi - is considered the most poisonous of all varieties. Height can reach 6 meters, color is white, fresh fruits are green. Distinctive feature in the ability to quickly capture areas of vegetation. The main habitat is the Caucasus, but can be found on the territory of Russia.

Safe plant species

Plant varieties common in the Russian Federation and not harmful for human health:

Harmless varieties of hogweed

1. Hogweed Siberian - distributed in different parts of the country. The color of the inflorescence is green-yellow, the fruits are very small and shaped like an egg.
2. Hogweed dissected - characteristic of Siberia, both for the forest and steppe parts. Flowers white, large.
3. Hairy hogweed - has the average size, grows up to 1.5 meters, white flowers without features. The usual habitat is the Caucasus, Crimea and Asia Minor.

plant properties

Hogweed is a dangerous plant that has a large habitat. Hogweed Sosnovsky can be found in different places, in the forest, on suburban area, by the river, on the field. The main danger comes during the flowering period. Since the plant has phototoxicity, and increases the susceptibility to ultraviolet rays at times.

Chemical burn with hogweed

Therefore, people who have contact with its parts receive severe chemical burns. And the smell of the plant and pollen are also an allergen. In this case, an instant manifestation of a burn or an allergy may not occur, but if essential oils or juice gets on the skin or mucous membranes, the consequences for human health are very serious.

Burns of the 2nd degree occur on the skin, if the juice of the plant enters the mucous membrane of the eye, then complete blindness is possible. If many areas of the skin are affected by the juice of the plant, the consequences can lead to death.

Plant species that are not harmful to humans are so safe that they can be eaten. Among the inhabitants of Russia, cow parsnip often acted as one of the components for soups. You can also make candied fruits from it and use it to make homemade vodka. Some settlements in the Caucasus still actively use cow parsnip for cooking.

Siberian hogweed is very popular in folk medicine. For the manufacture of medicines All parts of the plant are used, including the seeds. A decoction in which its roots are used is used in the treatment of diseases lymph nodes and neoplasms of the female genital organs. In the treatment of hepatitis and liver diseases, an infusion of hogweed is used, for which its root and leaves are taken and poured with water for several hours. Juice is used to treat ulcers of various origins.

If you use the components of hogweed as a remedy, make sure that it is not a dangerous species, since otherwise a decoction or infusion from the roots is poison to humans.

Hogweed poisoning of a dangerous species and consequences

Ways to get hogweed poisoning are varied. For example, if you stay among a large cluster of plants for a long time, then dizziness may develop and loss of consciousness is possible. During the flowering period, with prolonged inhalation of its aroma, a nauseating state, vomiting occurs, with a strong reaction of the body to the development of a strong edema of the larynx of a burn character. If the active substances come into contact with human skin, they do not immediately show their properties.

How to recognize a burn from a hogweed

Usually the strongest activity of plant sap is on days solar activity, since the furanocoumarins in it are most active in this environment. Within a few hours, and sometimes every other day, a severe burn of thermal origin can develop.

If contact cannot be avoided, it is necessary to get the help of a doctor as soon as possible, since reactions to this plant are very individual, and fatal cases are possible. The most important thing is that if contact occurs, immediately wash the affected area. large quantity water to wash away the juice.

How to relieve symptoms of hogweed poisoning

You can use vodka or alcohol tinctures to eliminate juice on the skin, it is permissible to use products with dexpanthenol. In a situation where a blister is found at the site of a possible contact with the plant, an aseptic bandage can be made if the lesion small size. The main thing is not to touch it yourself and in case of an increase in its size, contact a surgeon who will perform an autopsy, apply a drug with wound healing and antibacterial properties, for example, Levomekol.

The burn site can be treated with zinc ointments, applied to the affected area several times a day. General scheme treatment of lesions from hogweed are the main ways to treat burns.

Use zinc ointment to relieve symptoms

It is imperative to treat lesions from cow parsnip, since the consequences for the body are very unpleasant and harm a person. If urgent measures are not taken, the burn can spread throughout the body. There is a risk of contact with mucous membranes, especially harmful contact with the eyes, which can lead to blindness. If you do not treat burns from cow parsnip, then dark spots may remain for a long time.

Hogweed for the period after it was brought from the Caucasus, survived the journey from cultivated plant, which can be eaten by people and animals, to harmful and weed grass. The fight against cow parsnip is necessary, since the plant has the ability to survive cultivated vegetation, has tenacious properties, spreads independently and is a perennial species.

The method of controlling plants with chemistry is used on large areas. In small areas, mowing, sowing grass for the lawn is used. It is important to carry out work in places of plant activity in tight clothing that protects the skin and in a mask.

Video about the dangers of hogweed

It’s not difficult to get a hogweed burn, especially if you don’t know what it looks like. If you lightly touch the plant with your hand, you will feel a burning sensation, like from a nettle, but those who get lost in poisonous thickets will be much less lucky. The video below tells about all the dangers of such a flower: