Hogweed is a plant famous for its truly gigantic size. Alternative names - Italian borsch, bear paw (foot), goat, sweet grass. This wild giant can become a real threat to human health. What is the danger of hogweed and how to recognize it? Is there any benefit from this plant and how to deal with overgrowth of hogweed on a land plot?
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Description and characteristics of poisonous hogweed
About 70 species of this plant have been discovered in the world. Hogweed is a hollow, very tall stalk ending with weighty large leaves and crowned with small flowers. Some representatives of these plants are able to rise above the ground at a height of up to 3 m, and umbrellas can grow up to 70 cm in diameter. A bear paw grows in the fields or on the outskirts of roads, vacant lots, the banks of water bodies and even in vegetable gardens. Lonely standing hogweed is extremely rare, most often these plants grow heaped.
Gradually, the leaves of the plant began to be added to the first dish, which over time was called "borsch". Botanists, on the other hand, call the Heracleum hogweed, in view of its powerful appearance, reminiscent of the ancient Greek mythical hero Heracles, who was distinguished by great power and strength.
In the USSR, Italian borsch became famous thanks to Stalin. Generalissimo learned that the plant is widely used in North America as a feed crop.In the post-war years, the agriculture of the USSR was in decline and considerable hopes were placed on the plant, hoping that it would become a forage base. The hogweed continued to be nurtured during the reign of Khrushchev and Brezhnev. In the 90s, the cultivation of hogweed was abandoned and the plant, which remained uncontrolled, began to self-propagate, gradually occupying all large tracts of land. From a cultivated plant, Italian borsch gradually transformed into a poisonous weed.
Varieties of a poisonous plant
Hogweed - a collective definition of the genus of plants of the umbrella family. For this reason, it would be wrong to say that absolutely all representatives of the cow-borne clover family are poisonous.
There are several most famous plant varieties:
- Hogweed Mantegazzi (Heracléum mantegazziánum).
- Hairy Hogweed (Heracleum villosum).
- Siberian hogweed.
- Hogweed of Sosnowski.
In Russia, the last two species are common. At the same time, one should only be afraid of a man - the hogweed Sosnowski. It is difficult to confuse it with other varieties of plants - this botanical giant is able to grow to a height of several meters, and the umbrellas decorating the trunk are truly huge. It differs from the Siberian in size - the first reaches no more than 190 cm in height. In addition, the Sosnovsky hogweed has whitish umbrellas, and the Siberian - yellow-green.
Medicinal properties and use in medicine
Hogweed is widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of:
- diseases of the central nervous system (seizures, epilepsy, neurasthenia);
- dermatological diseases (depriving, eczema, etc.);
- gastrointestinal disorders (ulcers, dysentery, gastric catarrh);
- kidney disease;
- gallstone disease;
- rheumatism, arthritis, arthrosis and inflammation of the joints (used as lotions and compresses).
Attention. Hogweed preparations increase the skin's susceptibility to ultraviolet radiation. As a result, the possibility of getting sunburn increases.
Funds prepared from cow parsnip have been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. Among the most popular recipes, infusions to increase male strength and means that improve the digestive tract.
For example:
- Hogweed for potency disorders. 3 tsp dry leaves of hogweed pour 2 tbsp. water and insist 8 hours. It is recommended to take the drug three times a day after meals.
- Infusion of hogweed for gallstone disease. 5 tsp crushed dry roots of the plant pour 2 cups of water. Insisted for at least 10 hours, the drug is taken four times a day for half a glass.
What is dangerous poisonous hogweed
The most dangerous plant in the summer during flowering. The smell of sweet grass and the juice secreted by it often become the causes of allergic reactions in tandem with toxic poisoning.
The result of such an acquaintance can be severe pain, nausea, turning into vomiting, dizziness. In the case when the juice that gets on the skin interacts with the sun's rays, blisters and burns form on the skin. Under the action of ultraviolet light, they gradually dry out, acquire a brownish tint and pass over time.
The hogweed plant is a rather beautiful creation of nature and many people, especially children, cannot resist the temptation to touch it. Adults who try to destroy the plant with their bare hands are also at risk. It is necessary to warn both adults and children that direct contact with hogweed can cause health problems. Even if a person is confident that there is a non-toxic specimen in front of him, he should not risk his own health.
If you can’t avoid contact, what to do
If the fact of interaction with the cow parsnip has been discovered, the degree of its influence can be minimized.
To do this, take the following measures:
- Wash skin with soap or soda.
- Grease places of plant juice on the skin with a cream with anti-burn effect (“Rescuer”, “Panthenol”, etc.).
- Protect affected areas from exposure to sunlight.
- In case there are at least slight suspicions of the development of an allergy, antihistamines should be used.
Despite all the precautions, it is recommended that you contact a specialist for qualified assistance in the very near future.
How to get rid of a herbaceous plant
Owners of private houses, faced with the "occupation" of the garden plot by this gigantic plant, are at a loss how to get rid of the cow parsnip, given its toxicity and extraordinary vitality.
Having discovered that the bear's paw is a very dangerous plant, people began to rid their sites of its presence. Hogweed was uprooted and mowed, but this method is relevant in cases where the number of plants is small. On large areas, such an event will be ineffective. To eliminate a large accumulation of hogweed, herbicides are suitable. To eradicate plants quickly and for a long time, you can use the drug "Ancor". It not only destroys the plants themselves, but also prevents its seeds from sprouting in the soil. The guaranteed effect of action is 2 years. The drug is harmless to humans and pets.
The poisonous plant hogweed is not the best "neighbor" for a person, therefore it should be ruthlessly disposed of from it, ingrained near people's homes. Despite the widespread use in folk medicine, hogweed can be dangerous to human health and life. But do not despair, because the modern chemical industry produces many effective herbicides that allow you to get rid of such a wild plant quickly and for a long time.
