BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 29, 2021
The highly toxic giant hogweed is a plant that can cause significant physical harm, including third degree burns or even blindness. The plant, which can grow to 20 feet tall, is a member of the carrot family. It blooms in massive white flower heads that can measure two feet across, and which look a lot like the common flower Queen Anne’s Lace on steroids. It also has clear, watery sap that is highly toxic to people and which makes the plant a health hazard. “If you come in contact with sap, wash it off immediately,” Gary Fish, state horticulturist with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, said. “Stay out of the sun and wash out your eyes.”