Thursday, July 25, 2002

Massachusetts is Going Hogweed Wild

Possibly convinced that this is the next Snakehead, local media outlets are going crazy today announcing the "arrival" of Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) in Massachusetts. Describing the species as "evil", this story from the Boston Globe describes the accidental discovery of a plant growing on farmland in Granville, MA. What makes this species more troublesome than most other well-known invasives is that its sap is phototoxic, meaning that if it is on your skin, when exposed to sunlight you will break out in a nasty blistering rash.

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