The Giant Bear Claw is not only big, but also extremely dangerous. Just touching it can cause serious skin infections.
The giant hogweed is a plant from the Caucasus that has been spreading unhindered in Europe since 1950. Large parts of Austria are now affected, but even in Germany people are no longer immune to the poisonous plant.
There are currently warnings about giant bear hogweed in many social media. And not without reason. Because the sap of the plant is extremely aggressive and only the slightest touch causes severe skin inflammation.
What makes Giant Bear Claw so dangerous?
As already mentioned, it is the plant sap that makes the giant hogweed so dangerous. However, the toxic substances of the plant only unfold in connection with sunlight.
You have to imagine it like this: If the plant sap comes into contact with the skin, the protective layer of the skin is destroyed. If the sun shines on the affected area, severe burns can occur within 24 hours. Typical side effects are shortness of breath, circulatory problems, sweating and fever. Weeping blisters also form very frequently, which often take several weeks to heal.
You don't even have to come into contact with the plant on particularly hot days. It can be dangerous just getting close to the plant as the toxic compounds (also collectively referred to as furanocoumarins) become airborne.
You see, the giant hogweed can only be "enjoyed" with great caution. Children in particular should be warned about the plant.
Where does the giant hogweed grow?
Like the allergy-causing ragweed plant, the giant hogweed also loves little-used areas. It is very often found on the edges of roads, forests and paths, but the poisonous plant can also be found on rivers and streams. And although they prefer fallow land, sooner or later they will also find their way into the home garden. They often leave themselves therenutrient-rich soil. So keep your eyes peeled.
Recognizing giant hogweed - 4 important characteristics
In order to protect yourself from the giant hogweed, it is of course important to know what the plant looks like and what special characteristics you can recognize it by.
Of course, the giant hogweed bears a certain resemblance to the meadow hogweed, especially when the giant hogweed is just beginning to grow. So, to make it easy for you to tell them apart, here are a few key features.
Feature 1: The Size
Giant! The giant hogweed can reach a size of between three and five meters.
For comparison: The meadow hogweed only gets about 1.5 meters high.
Feature 2: The Stem
The stalk of the plant resembles a trunk. It can grow up to 10 cm in diameter during its growing season. He's also very hairy and has lots of little red spots on him.
For comparison: The meadow hogweed grows rather slender and has green stems throughout.
Feature 3: The flowers
The giant hogweed is also immediately noticeable in the area of the flowers. It has huge umbels that bloom white to pale pink from the second year. Here, too, the diameter of up to 80 centimeters is really gigantic. Apart from the size, the flowers are similar to the flowers of ground elder and wild carrot.
For comparison: The plate-like flower umbels of the meadow hogweed only reach a diameter of about 25 cm.
Feature 4: The Leaves
Hardly any plant has such huge leaves as the giant hogweed. The heavily pinnate leaves, which are very strongly under-serrated, can grow up to a meter long. However, to reach that size, you need to be standing in a particularly nutrient-rich spot.
© TwilightArtPictures - Fotolia.com
The Giant Bear Claw grows up to 5 meters tall
© Miket - Fotolia.com
The umbels also reach a size of up to 80 centimetres
© Heinz Waldukat - Fotolia.com
Here are the reddish spotsvery easy to recognize from the stem
© GerardM At Nl.wikipedia, Via Wikimedia Commons
The giant hogweed has heavily pinnate leaves that can grow up to a meter long in a favorable location.
How to fight the aggressive plant
To protect yourself and your children from the possible dangers of the plant, it is important that the giant hogweed is removed from the garden. However, mowing alone only helps for a short time, as the plant will sprout again immediately.
You are much better advised if you specifically combat the plant. You should carry out the control measures before the plant begins to form seeds. Once the plant has scattered its seeds, the plant dies and lots of new ones grow in other locations.
» A little hint: A giant hogweed about 3 years old can scatter up to 50,000 seeds. In addition, the seeds have special flight and swimming properties.
Preparatory measures:
Before approaching the plant, protect your skin with protective clothing. Don't forget gloves and respiratory protection. It is also recommended that you carry out the control measures on a sunless day or in the late evening hours. This will minimize the risk of burns.
Fighting Giant Bear Claw:
Tip 1: Separate the plant from the root
As already mentioned, simply mowing is not enough. It is much more efficient if you cut the plant at the root. To do this, you have to use a spade to dig about 10 to 15 centimeters deep into the earth and separate the root from the plant. Neither root nor plant can sprout again with this variant. The best time for this control is either immediately after flowering between September and October or in spring between May and June.
Tip 2: Cut off the umbels
So that the plant does not spread further, it can also help to simply remove the flower umbels between the flower and the fruit set. The only disadvantage of this variant is that the plant keeps producing new flowers, which you then have to remove in subsequent work steps.
After you have removed the umbels, you should either burn them directly or put them in tear-resistant bags and then dispose of them.
Important! Do not throw the plant or parts of the plant onto thecompost, but dispose of them in a professionally managed large composting facility. Be sure to clean tools and protective clothing immediately afterwards.
Tip 3: Regular checks
The respective place of the plant should not be ignored. Check regularly to see if a new plant is sprouting. The best time to check is spring.
» My tip: If you don't want to take it upon yourself to remove it, you can also contact the responsible nature conservation authority in your area. Often the employees will help you with the removal even in private gardens.
Children like to use the huge stem as a blowgun, hide under the large umbels of flowers or use it as a decorative hat. This is extremely dangerous and you should therefore provide information in good time. Show you pictures of the plant from our picture gallery above and talk in detail about the possible dangers. Should you nevertheless come into contact with the plant sap, wash the areas immediately with soap and water and cover the respective skin area with clothing and a cream with a high sun protection factor for the next few days. If there are any signs of skin irritation, you should urgently consult a doctor.