Giant Hogweed Plant found in Virginia

[microg]

Ugh.  I hope I don't get this in my yard.
patch.com/virginia/across-va/plant-can-cause-burns-blindness-found-virginia

An invasive plant with sap that can cause third-degree burns and blindness — it's said to make poison ivy feel pleasant — has been confirmed in Virginia for the first time by experts, setting off alarm bells for residents statewide. The giant hogweed plant was found in Clarke County in Northern Virginia, and warnings posted by the Extension Service, Virginia Tech experts and others spread across the internet like a noxious weed.

I'm still going to complain about the poison ivy in the far right corner of my backyard, however. I don't think it's pleasant compared to anything.

"In brief, the sap prevents your skin from protecting itself from sunlight, which leads to a very bad sunburn," said the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. "Heat and moisture (sweat or dew) can worsen the skin reaction. The phototoxic reaction can begin as soon as 15 minutes after contact, with sensitivity peak between 30 minutes and two hours after contact."

I wanted to get a better idea on how bad the skin reactions really are to the Giant Hogweed and found these lovely pictures from Great Britain.  
www.express.co.uk/pictures/pics/2956/Giant-Hogweed-warning-Britain-s-most-dangerous-plant-gardens-toxic-burns-in-pictures


Perhaps I'm falling for some fake news.  Maybe Snopes can save me.  Nope! 
www.snopes.com/fact-check/giant-hogweed-toxicity-warning/

Giant hogweed sap contains toxic chemicals known as furanocoumarins. When these chemicals come into contact with the skin and are exposed to sunlight, they cause a condition called phytophotodermatitis, a reddening of the skin often followed by severe blistering and burns. These injuries can last for several months, and even after they have subsided the affected areas of skin can remain sensitive to light for years. Furanocoumarins are also carcinogenic and teratogenic, meaning they can cause cancer and birth defects.

[Ranger John]

I can't help you with the Giant Hogweed, but there is an option to treat your poison ivy.

Have you ever heard of jewelweed?

[microg]

Jun 20, 2018 14:21:59 GMT -5 Ranger John said:

I can't help you with the Giant Hogweed, but there is an option to treat your poison ivy.

Have you ever heard of jewelweed?

Yes.  I haven't tried it but I have used Zanfel which has been the most effective for me so far.

[kemmer]

Sounds nasty. Hope never to see it. I note they say to wash with cold water if exposed.

Best thing for poison ivy (other than avoiding it) is to shower or bathe as soon as you can after contact, with lots of soapy lather. My mother made us take a bath with Fels Naptha whenever we'd been in the woods. Regular soap works just as well. (Yes, I grub out poison ivy every year, and still have museum quality specimens on the property. Of course, I doubt I'm very sensitive.)

microg, my son was extremely allergic to poison ivy as a child. For a really severe case, a prescription for oral steroids can be gotten.

[Ranger John]

Jun 20, 2018 16:21:51 GMT -5 microg said:

Jun 20, 2018 14:21:59 GMT -5 Ranger John said:

I can't help you with the Giant Hogweed, but there is an option to treat your poison ivy.

Have you ever heard of jewelweed?

Yes.  I haven't tried it but I have used Zanfel which has been the most effective for me so far.

If you've got something else, that's great. I've found jewelweed to be better than anything else.

[microg]

I just make sure I cover up when I have to remove any vines and shower afterwards if possible. I seem to fare better with indirect exposure.

I used to be somewhat immune to poison ivy until I helped someone remove large quantities of it. Of course I bragged that I wasn't allergic and took absolutely no precautions. It took about a week but suddenly my body figured it out and I was covered. Now my response time is 2 or 3 days.

Now if this is pleasant compared to the Giant Hogweed ...

[redleg]

This sounds like Day of the Triffids.
Did this plant "immigrate" from England? Apparently, it's not native to England either, so where did it come from originally?

[rael]

Turn and run
Nothing can stop them
Around every river and canal their
Power is growing

[redleg]

Jun 25, 2018 9:05:06 GMT -5 rael said:

Turn and run
Nothing can stop them
Around every river and canal their
Power is growing

Sounds like kudzu. Once it's here, you can't get rid of it.

[rael]

Botanical creature stirs, seeking revenge
Royal beast did not forget
Soon they escaped, spreading their seed
Preparing for an onslaught
Threatening the human race

[redleg]

Jun 25, 2018 9:52:13 GMT -5 rael said:

Botanical creature stirs, seeking revenge
Royal beast did not forget
Soon they escaped, spreading their seed
Preparing for an onslaught
Threatening the human race

That's what Roundup is for. 

[rael]

Mighty Hogweed is avenged
Human bodies soon will know our anger
Kill them with your Hogweed hairs
Heracleum Mantegazziani

[organgrinder]

Jun 25, 2018 9:05:06 GMT -5 rael said:

Turn and run
Nothing can stop them
Around every river and canal their
Power is growing

LOL ...  have you been reading a little too much John Wyndham? 

[rael]

Jun 25, 2018 12:01:44 GMT -5 organgrinder said:

Jun 25, 2018 9:05:06 GMT -5 rael said:

Turn and run
Nothing can stop them
Around every river and canal their
Power is growing

LOL ...  have you been reading a little too much John Wyndham? 

If you knew why my handle is my handle you wouldn't need to ask...

[organgrinder]

Jun 25, 2018 12:04:44 GMT -5 rael said:

Jun 25, 2018 12:01:44 GMT -5 organgrinder said:

LOL ...  have you been reading a little too much John Wyndham? 

If you knew why my handle is my handle you wouldn't need to ask...

Ah! a raelist eh? You should know the antidote to your hogweed problem then ... seawater, that'll do the trick. 

[rael]

Jun 25, 2018 12:19:10 GMT -5 organgrinder said:

Jun 25, 2018 12:04:44 GMT -5 rael said:

If you knew why my handle is my handle you wouldn't need to ask...

Ah! a raelist eh? You should know the antidote to your hogweed problem then ... seawater, that'll do the trick. 

Bzzzt! Wrong answer. 

cryptoforest.blogspot.com/2011/06/return-of-giant-hogweed.html

[organgrinder]

Jun 25, 2018 12:22:48 GMT -5 rael said:

Jun 25, 2018 12:19:10 GMT -5 organgrinder said:

Ah! a raelist eh? You should know the antidote to your hogweed problem then ... seawater, that'll do the trick. 

Bzzzt! Wrong answer. 

cryptoforest.blogspot.com/2011/06/return-of-giant-hogweed.html

Yikes! They're taller than triffids ... your gonna need a whole lot of seawater. 

[microg]

Jun 21, 2018 5:01:41 GMT -5 Ranger John said:

Jun 20, 2018 16:21:51 GMT -5 microg said:

Yes.  I haven't tried it but I have used Zanfel which has been the most effective for me so far.

If you've got something else, that's great. I've found jewelweed to be better than anything else.

Okay, making note. 

This year's poison ivy crop hasn't even grown yet but I've already managed to get it on my left arm from working in the yard.

[Ranger John]

Apr 11, 2019 16:18:23 GMT -5 microg said:

Jun 21, 2018 5:01:41 GMT -5 Ranger John said:

If you've got something else, that's great. I've found jewelweed to be better than anything else.

Okay, making note. 

This year's poison ivy crop hasn't even grown yet but I've already managed to get it on my left arm from working in the yard.

If you have a patch (it likes wet areas, and grows quickly) you'll want to open up the stem and rub the juice where you came in contact with the poison ivy.

It contains a compound called lawsone which attaches to the same area of your skin cells that urisol attacks and blocks it.