CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – The city of Campbell River released a statement warning residents of hogweed hazards, and instructions on how to get rid of it.
Giant hogweed sap is toxic and can cause recurring third-degree burns and blistering and scars on the skin, which can return even 10 years after exposure.
According to the city’s statement, WorkSafe BC issued a toxic plant warning for giant hogweed that requires workers to wear heavy, water-resistant gloves and water-resistant coveralls that completely cover skin while handling plants. Eye protection is also recommended.
The city said cutting the flower heads during growing season is the most effective treatment for small infestations on private property. Cutting hogweed roots 10 centimetres below the soil surface using sharp spades is also recommended. According to the city, leaving the stems and flower heads above ground to decompose is one way of disposing hogweed, as long as the plant carries no risk of people or animals touching them. If the flower heads have gone to seed, residents are advised to bag the plant materials and take them to the Campbell River Waste Management Centre.
Residents are advised against putting hogweed material in regular backyard compost or waste bins as the seeds can spread this way.
Giant hogweed and cow parsnip – a local perennial plant – look similar. Cow parsnip is especially abundant in Quinsam and around the Elk Falls trail.
Here are a few ways residents can tell the difference:
Giant hogweed
- Leaves are dark green, deeply serrated in three large segments, can be 2.5 metres long with stiff hairs
- Stems are green and hollow with purple spots
- Grows up to five metres at maturity
- Blooms in mid-August, with flower heads up to 1.5 metres in diameter
Cow parsnIp
- Leaves are not shiny, are rounded, and generally less than 0.5 metres wide with soft hairs
- Stems are usually green, and lower portion may be purple (but not spotted or streaked)
- Grows up to three metres in maturity
- Blooms in July, with flower heads only 20 centimetres in diameter
Both plants have small white flowers in an umbrella-shaped head. To report giant hogweed infestations, email the city of Campbell River’s environmental specialist, Terri Martin at [email protected]
