Hogweed response team in the works

Yolande Cole, The Province July 14, 2010

An organization that monitors the growth of the giant hogweed in the metro Vancouver area is fundraising for a response team that could respond to calls about the invasive plant. Since The Province ran a story on Sunday on the growth of the giant hogweed plant in B.C., the Greater Vancouver Invasive Plant Council has received over 40 calls reporting the towering weed. But according to co-ordinator Jennifer Grenz, the organization doesn’t have the capacity to respond to reports of the plant, which can cause severe burns or blindness if the photosensitive sap comes into contact with the skin or eyes.

Grenz is hoping that nearby municipalities will pitch in a small amount towards the response team. “Our view is that even if each municipality chips in a couple thousand dollars, if you get five or six municipalities joining in, that’s enough right there to fund a crew for a couple of months,” she said. Grenz is hoping to meet with any city councils that are willing in the fall, and to fundraise about $30,000 by next summer in order to establish a hogweed response team.The giant hogweed season lasts for about another two weeks, according to Grenz, and it typically returns in June.

[PDF] Information on Giant Hogweed - Information Alert: Giant Hogweed

The plant exudes a clear watery sap, which sensitizes the skin to ultraviolet radiation. This can result in severe burns to the affected areas resulting in severe blistering and painful dermatitis. These blisters can develop into purplish or blackened scars. Proliferating populations in urban and suburban areas represents an increasing public health hazard.