France in Focus

No problems with flooding and sogginess here.
However, I was a bit disturbed to see a lot of Giant Hogweed (Bèrce du Caucase) flourishing round here by the ditches. You can get an extremely nasty skin rash/burns from this plant if the skin comes into contact with the sap.

I'd swear I have seen something round these parts that looked like Giant Hogweed. How do towns remove it and how does it arrive in the first place ?

Lori wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 11:20 am how does it arrive in the first place ?

It's another species imported from Asia by the Victorians/Edwardians as an ornamental plant. Like many Asiatic plants, it's become a nuisance (like some types of bamboo, Japanese knotweed and many others).
Not a very good photo, taken yesterday, but it's well over 6 feet tall !!! The leaves are very distinctive before it flowers.
It's very difficult to get rid of because you have to handle it with great care. You can spray with a systemic weedkiller or dig up the young plants. But you must wear protective clothing, gloves, goggles, mask etc because of the risk of a drop of sap landing on you. All clothing and tools should be washed carefully after use.

What you do with it after that, I don't know because I can't find any advice on it. Take it to the dump ??

Is it the same as Hemlock?

Detailed info to be found here:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/giant-hogweed

Bayleaf wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 12:28 pm Is it the same as Hemlock?

No Bayleaf, no connection. It looks like a giant Cow Parsley but the leaves are much broader, as in my photo.

In Quebec, Canada, it's a notifiable plant. It's phototoxic so the sap on your skin would prevent the skin protecting itself from sunlight.

Hogweed is extremely harmful to animals as well as humans : dogs snuffling in the hedgerows where giant hogweed is growing could end up with very bad burns and blisters.

How does anything arrive? We constantly pull up oak seedlings but there isn't an oak tree anywhere near us. Squirrels?

Blaze wrote: ↑Wed May 22, 2024 10:49 am Giant Hogweed (Bèrce du Caucase)

Right - so it sounds like that's what plagues an area of mine that nearly killed the shetland many years ago when he must have accidentaly ingested a leaf. Now I know the French word - thank you!

After 6 weeks in an overheatede hospital room, I really shouldn't be shocked at the state of my garden. Jungle bells...