We encounter some things almost every day; they become commonplace and familiar. But it turns out that unexpected and interesting facts are associated with them...

Just now I read that several million people in Russia get burns every year as a result of contact with hogweed. Rarely does a summer go by without reports of vision loss or even deaths of unsuspecting people who venture out into nature. The most terrible photochemical burns that do not go away for several weeks, and even the danger of breaking the structure of chromosomes, should the juice of this plant get on the skin.

Hogweeds are perennial plants from the Apiaceae family. The genus of hogweed has about 70 species, of which 40 are found in Russia. to his unusual name the plants owe a popular dish to which some edible species of hogweed were added until potatoes appeared in Russia.

Due to their large size, hogweed is popularly called Hercules grass.

Millions of rubles are allocated to fight it, but this practically does not help, and hogweed is spreading throughout the country and neighboring countries. This plant is considered one of the most dangerous among those growing in Russia. Many even consider it a biological weapon, grown to combat summer residents.

It’s hard to imagine now, but thirty years ago hogweed was a relatively rare plant. Mothers did not have to tell their children how dangerous these huge tall pipes with white flower caps on top were. Summer residents did not spend the lion's share of their time fighting it, and the roads of the western part of Russia were not decorated with huge thickets, as if left over from the filming of a science fiction film.

It grew on its own

It’s worth making a reservation right away. Alas, all theories about “alien” origin or artificial creation as a weapon have no basis in reality. Hogweed has existed on our planet for millions of years. One of the species, Siberian hogweed, has been known to the inhabitants of Russia for several centuries, and its first mention under the name “hogweed” dates back to the 16th century.

Then it was simply called borscht and was actively consumed as food; most often this name meant Siberian hogweed. Its young shoots were added to food, but after two hundred years the names were separated. Borscht came to be called soup with the addition of beets, but hogweed remained hogweed.

Despite the name, Siberian hogweed grows almost throughout Russia. It was this or the similar common hogweed that we most often used in childhood to make the highest quality spitting pipes. Its hollow barrel is ideal for creating "spirit weapons". Hogweed juice can cause inflammation on the skin, although not at all severe. Until the end of the 80s, the word “hogweed” meant exactly this plant, often found along forest edges.

Horror from the Caucasus

In 1944, botanists of the Soviet Union reached the foothills of the Caucasus. Exactly there the new kind Hogweed was discovered by Ida Panovna Mandenova, a Soviet and Georgian botanist and taxonomist. A new plant, not yet known to scientists, was described and systematized. The famous botanist Dmitry Ivanovich Sosnovsky is not at all to blame for our modern situation. The plant that was simply found was named in his honor - Sosnówskyi's hogweed (Heracleum sosnówskyi). Sosnovsky himself studied the nature of the Caucasus, described many new asters and was a serious expert in growing grapes.

There is also a version that Sosnovsky's hogweed is an artificially bred species. Its wild ancestors were found in the mountainous regions of Armenia. The plants were larger in size compared to their Central Russian and Siberian relatives, and also formed a large green mass. In the 40s In the 20th century, this species came to the attention of scientists as a promising crop for feed production. The history of the origin of the new species is shrouded in mystery. It is only known that after the nth number of years of research, in the laboratory of a certain Caucasian All-Russia Research Institute, whose name is not even mentioned anywhere, scientists whose names also remain a mystery, a miracle plant was born - Sosnovsky's hogweed, a plant that was considered the hope for a solution problems of feed production in the USSR.

Yes, by the way, in Latin the entire genus of hogweed, these plants of the umbrella family, is named (Herácléum) in honor of the hero of ancient Greek myths - Hercules. This name was given to it by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus back in the 17th century. fast growth and tall and strong stems. If the scientist had known about Sosnovsky's hogweed, which easily grows up to a three-meter height, then it is still unknown what name he would have come up with for it.

Dead food

Initially, the plant seemed fabulously promising: its height reaches 4 meters, the diameter of the stem at the root collar is 10 cm, the accumulation of green mass is simply incredible. It tolerates frosts down to -5 C, which is very important for the northern regions of the country. It has colossal seed productivity; up to 50,000 seeds are produced on one plant. In the early stages, hogweeds grow slowly, but by mid-summer they reach 1.5 m in height. Crops of Sosnovsky's hogweed are not affected by insect pests. In addition, the seeds contain active substances that inhibit the development of seeds of other plants when they enter the soil, which reduces energy and resource costs for controlling weeds and pests. Restores quickly aboveground part after mowing. In the second or third years of life it produces a huge amount of green mass.

In addition, it was intended to use Sosnovsky's hogweed as a fence along the edges of roads and pastures. The plant bears fruit only once in its life, for 3-4 years, after which it dies.

It seemed like what more could you want?! At the same time, one strange circumstance was discovered: none of the scientists before the 60s of the twentieth century mentioned in their works the shortcomings of hogweed. More than one dissertation was written on this crop, and the disadvantages of the fabulous plant were revealed only after the beginning of its mass introduction into crop rotations of farms throughout the country.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

After Sosnovsky's hogweed came to the attention of scientists, it was decided to cultivate it as a silage plant - for livestock feed. Silage is a way of preparing succulent feed for cows. The chopped grass is placed in special towers without access to air, where it rots and can be stored for several years. Thus, even in winter, cows can receive tasty and healthy food. Almost like grass from a pasture. Naturally, for making silage, plants that are juicy and easily gain weight are required.

At the end of the 40s, breeder Pyotr Vavilov (the academician’s namesake) from the Institute of Biology of the Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic convinced the leadership of the Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASKhNIL) that hogweed, a source of cheap and effective silage for feeding livestock, would help restore war-ravaged agriculture.

Alas, several years later it became clear that the hogweed food turned out to be extremely bad. The cows ate it under pressure, preferring other plants; the milk after the hogweed diet turned out to be bitter to such an extent that it was impossible to consume it. In addition, hogweed also affected the reproductive system: more and more malformed calves were born, cows became infertile.

Almost immediately they stopped growing hogweed as food, but it was too late: the poisonous genie had already escaped from its bottle.

Pandora's Box

Around the end of the 80s, when the fields begin to be overgrown with grass, hogweed begins its victorious march along the roads and clearings of the country. The seed productivity of the central hogweed umbrella per generative shoot ranges from 2500 to 3500 seeds (and there are from 1 to 5 inflorescences per individual, rarely up to 11), that is, a total of about 20–35 thousand seeds are produced annually by one plant. Sosnovsky's hogweed abruptly went wild and began to dominate with great speed over local species that were completely unaccustomed to this.

And if in the forest or in the fields it has almost no chance of breaking through the defenses of the local flora, then in recently plowed fields, previously cultivated plots of land, abandoned farms, the Sosnovsky hogweed has freedom. Plants reaching three meters in height simply prevail over environment, without giving other species a single opportunity. Plants actively occupy the banks of reservoirs, wastelands, and road right of way. According to some data, more than a million hectares are currently occupied by Sosnovsky's hogweed in the European part of Russia alone.

Currently, hogweed has spread well throughout almost the entire territory of western Russia. Every year it goes further and further - to the south and east. There is Sosnovsky's hogweed beyond the Urals, and they have begun to fight it in Tatarstan. Seeds most often travel on car wheels, along with the wind. As a result, the speed of spread is enormous. In the Leningrad region there are already very few areas where vacant lots are not occupied by hogweed.

And, it would seem, what’s wrong with huge and almost unearthly thickets? The thing is that hogweed is not only an ideal weed that grows in your garden bed over and over again. It is also very dangerous for humans.

Ultra-fast tan

For those who have not yet encountered Sosnovsky's hogweed, we recommend reading this as carefully as possible. Every year, tens of thousands of people are treated for chemical burns resulting from contact with hogweed. Thousands of people end up in hospitals; for some, an encounter with this plant ends in death.

The thing is that hogweed is phototoxic. The clear, watery juice of hogweed contains photosensitive substances from the furanocoumarin group. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, they transform into an active form that can cause skin damage. After contact with the plant - especially in sunny days- A severe first-degree burn may appear on the skin. A particular danger is that touching the plant at first does not cause any unpleasant sensations.

Moreover, if the juice was exposed through clothing, such as socks, blisters may appear later, when, for example, you take off your clothes in the evening. Moreover, for activation it is enough room light. Blisters filled with liquid from contact with hogweed juice take a very long time to disappear, they are painful and do not heal well.

Roughly speaking, the sap of the plant deprives human skin cells of protection from ultraviolet radiation. And the skin burns even on a cloudy day in a matter of minutes. Moreover, this is not just redness, but a serious photochemical burn. If 80 percent of the body or more is affected, death occurs.

Hogweed juice if it gets into the eyes can cause blindness. There have been cases of vision loss in children who played with the hollow stems of the plant as if they were telescopes. Moreover, it is not always necessary to come into contact with the sap of the plant to get a burn. Often it is enough to simply touch the leaves of Sosnowski's hogweed. At risk are children and city dwellers who come to relax in nature and do not know what kind of plant it is. There are hundreds of horror stories about how hogweed leaves were used to line the floor of a tent, stuck on the nose to prevent sunburn, and even used as toilet paper.

Moreover, hogweed is dangerous not only due to burns. Sosnowski's hogweed juice has some pathogenic properties even in the absence of photoactivation (even if there was no burn). Thus, it has been established that the juice can cause gross disturbances in the structure of chromosomes - chromosomal aberrations. This occurs mainly through damage to the spindle (aneugenic effect). In other words, the juice of Sosnovsky's hogweed causes a mutagenic effect. In addition, it has been recorded that the juice inhibits cell division (mitosis), that is, it exhibits mitotic activity.

It was precisely this property that prevented cows from enjoying hogweed silage. Or rather, they ate silage, and then received a powerful time bomb in their stomach.

Risk group

What should you do to avoid getting a super-fast tan in the form of bubbles in all the places where the hogweed juice could reach? To begin with, and if possible, it is worth remembering yourself and telling the children exactly what hogweed looks like in order to bypass this plant on a third route.

These are large umbrellas, sometimes simply huge (three meters on paper doesn’t look very impressive, in life it’s just giant plants). The leaves of Sosnovsky hogweed are light green, smooth, and up to two meters long. The stem is furrowed-ribbed, rough, partly hairy, purple or with purple spots. During flowering, hogweed produces umbrella inflorescences with white flowers. By the way, hogweed - excellent honey plant, which does not excuse this plant in all other cases.

Hogweed is most dangerous during the flowering period. It is at this time that even touching the leaves can lead to burns and blisters. During other periods, the sap of the plant is most dangerous, so if you are planning to mow hogweed, you should take care of maximum protection.

If hogweed juice does get on the skin, you need to remove this area from the light as quickly as possible. Yes, first you need not to rush to wash off the juice, but to wrap the affected area. It sounds counterintuitive, but that's exactly how it is. Then, under artificial light, thoroughly wash off all the juice that gets on the skin with soap and water, and after that, do not expose it to the skin for at least two more days. this area bodies to the sun. Yes, the juice could have already affected the skin cells, and even if it was not left on the surface, a photochemical burn would not be long in coming.

If burns do appear, you should show them to a doctor, especially if the affected area is large enough. At home, burns are treated:

ointment "Sintomycin";

gel "Rescuer"

aerosol "Panthenol";

spray "Olazol";

zinc ointment

By and large, these are burns after all, so the treatment must be appropriate.

Dry hogweed is not nearly as dangerous. There is no juice in it anymore, and therefore you can touch the huge gray dried stems without fear.

What will happen to the homeland and to us?

How can you defeat hogweed in conditions throughout the country? Judging by the current state Agriculture, most likely, not at all. Yes, hogweed can only be spread by seeds. On the other hand, the root of a plant lives up to 12 years, even with regular destruction of the stem.

Therefore, there are only two methods of extermination. It is necessary to kill the hogweed before sowing the seeds. This is done either by mowing and destroying the roots, or by using glyphosate. This is a non-selective herbicide, so in the conditions of your own site it is easiest to inject the hogweed so that the herbicide gets inside the stem (there it will reach the roots). When destroying hogweed along roads, it is usually sprayed, which leads to the death of all living things in this place. However, if the hogweed is not completely destroyed, it will very quickly be sown and again begin its slow and silent offensive.

The second method is mowing. Here you need to be as careful as possible, since the succulent stems simply splash in all directions when destroyed. Therefore, without a full chemical protection suit, you shouldn’t even go into these thickets.

There is only one problem: this must be done clearly and systematically, carefully destroying all plants, including the smallest ones. Otherwise, after sowing the seeds, you can start all over again. That is why millions of rubles allocated for the extermination of hogweed are wasted. If there is a program one year, then another year there is not enough money for it. This is how hogweed never goes away.

In Belarus they fight hogweed much more thoroughly. The president personally punishes collective farms, where they fight him half-heartedly or do not pay attention. Until we do this seriously, at the state level, as a large federal program, there will be no sense.

There is little hope of creating a selective herbicide that would destroy only hogweed and be harmless to other plants. They are now trying to create it in several scientific centers, but so far there has been no news about the production of a medicine against Sosnowski's hogweed. So Russia is slowly becoming overgrown with huge poisonous pipes, and nothing can be done.

The number of plants harmful to people is constantly increasing, so the question of whether hogweed is a poisonous plant arises regularly. Some species are dangerous to humans, others are not. Therefore, it is necessary to know why hogweed is harmful, what it looks like and where it grows, in order to prevent unpleasant health consequences.

How to recognize hogweed

general characteristics

Hogweed is a plant belonging to the Umbrella family, which has about 70 varieties. The plant is predominantly perennial. It has a dense stem, the average height is usually 1.5 meters, but specimens have been recorded reaching a height of 4 meters. The leaves are fleshy, reach 0.5 meters in length, the surface is smooth with fibers in the middle.

Poisonous hogweed inflorescence

Period active flowering June and July, fruiting occurs in August. The flowers can be white, greenish-yellow, with a pink tint, collected in small inflorescences in the form of umbrellas, which together form an inflorescence with a diameter of up to 0.6 meters. It has a high degree of survival, has strong roots and reproduces independently.

The general description of the plant for the poisonous and ordinary species is the same, since the danger of hogweed is its chemical properties.

Types of hogweed and their differences

Hogweed came to Russia from the Caucasus and was quite popular in the agricultural sector, as it was classified as a silage species. As its features were studied, the benefits and harms changed places. It can be considered that hogweed is the most dangerous plant in Russia, because it is not so easy to determine a species that is not dangerous to humans; it is a weed and reproduces uncontrollably. It is dangerous for other types of vegetation, as it easily displaces them from the area.

Dangerous plant species

Frequently occurring varieties, contact with which is harmful to the body:

How to deal with a dangerous plant

1. Sosnovsky's hogweed is a plant that stands out for its powerful appearance and can grow up to three meters in height. Lives for 2 years, but sometimes degenerates into a perennial one. Characterized by many green leaves, the inflorescence consists of large white or pink flowers.
2. Wild hogweed - usually lives in the southern part of Russia at the foot of the mountains. It grows up to 2 meters in height, the color of the inflorescences is white, and is classified as biennial.
3. Hogweed Mantegazzi is considered the most poisonous of all varieties. The height can reach 6 meters, the color is white, the fresh fruits are green. Distinctive feature in the ability to quickly capture areas of vegetation. The main habitat is the Caucasus, but can be found in Russia.

Safe plant species

Plant varieties common in the Russian Federation and not harmful to human health:

Harmless varieties of hogweed

1. Siberian hogweed is widespread in different parts of the country. The color of the inflorescence is green-yellow, the fruits are very small and egg-shaped.
2. Hogweed dissected is characteristic of Siberia, both in the forest and steppe parts. The flowers are white and large in size.
3. Hairy hogweed - has an average size, grows up to 1.5 meters, the flowers are white without any features. The usual habitat is the Caucasus, Crimea and Asia Minor.

Plant properties

Hogweed is a dangerous plant with a large habitat. Sosnovsky's hogweed can be found in different places, in the forest, on summer cottage, by the river, on the field. The main danger comes during the flowering period. Since the plant is phototoxic and increases susceptibility to ultraviolet rays.

Chemical burn by hogweed

Therefore, people who come into contact with its parts receive severe chemical burns. And the smell of the plant and pollen are also allergens. In this case, an immediate manifestation of a burn or allergy may not occur, but if essential oils or juice gets on the skin or mucous membranes, the consequences for human health are very serious.

2nd degree burns occur on the skin; if the plant juice gets into the mucous membrane of the eye, complete blindness is possible. If the juice of the plant affects many areas of the skin, the consequences can lead to death.

Plant species that are not harmful to humans are so safe that they can be eaten. For residents of Russia, hogweed often served as one of the ingredients for soups. You can also make candied fruits from it and use it to make homemade vodka. Some settlements in the Caucasus still actively use hogweed for cooking.

Siberian hogweed is very popular in folk medicine. All parts of the plant, including the seeds, are used to make medicines. A decoction in which its roots are used is used in the treatment of diseases of the lymph nodes and neoplasms of the female genital organs. In the treatment of hepatitis and liver diseases, an infusion of hogweed is used, for which they take its root and leaves and pour water for several hours. The juice is used to treat ulcers of various origins.

If you use the components of hogweed as a medicinal product, make sure that it is not a dangerous species, since otherwise a decoction or infusion from the roots is poisonous for humans.

Dangerous hogweed poisoning and consequences

There are a variety of ways to get poisoned by hogweed. For example, if you stay among a large concentration of plants for a long time, you may develop dizziness and possibly lose consciousness. During the flowering period, prolonged inhalation of its aroma results in a nauseating state, vomiting, and with a strong reaction of the body to the possible development of severe edema of the larynx of a burn nature. If active substances come into contact with human skin, they do not immediately exhibit their properties.

How to recognize a burn from hogweed

Typically, the activity of plant sap is strongest on days of solar activity, since the furanocoumarins contained in it are most active in this environment. Within a few hours, and sometimes every other day, a severe burn of thermal origin can develop.

If contact cannot be avoided, it is necessary to get help from a doctor as quickly as possible, since reactions to this plant are very individual, and fatal cases are possible. The most important thing is that if contact occurs, immediately rinse the affected area with plenty of water to wash off the juice.

How to relieve symptoms of hogweed poisoning

You can use vodka or alcohol tinctures to eliminate juice on the skin; it is permissible to use products with dexpanthenol. In a situation where a blister is found at the site of possible contact with the plant, you can make an aseptic dressing if the lesion small size. The main thing is not to touch it yourself and if its size increases, contact a surgeon who will perform an autopsy and apply a drug with wound-healing and antibacterial properties, for example, Levomekol.

The burn site can be treated with zinc ointments, applied to the affected area several times a day. General scheme Treatment of lesions from hogweed are the main methods of treating burns.

To relieve symptoms, use zinc ointment

It is imperative to treat lesions from hogweed, since the consequences for the body are very unpleasant and are harmful to humans. If urgent measures are not taken, the burn can spread throughout the body. There is a risk of contact with mucous membranes, especially harmful contact with the eyes, which can lead to blindness. If you do not treat hogweed burns, dark spots may remain for a long time.

In the period after it was brought from the Caucasus, hogweed has gone from cultivated plant, which can be eaten by people and animals, to harmful and weedy grass. Control of hogweed is necessary, since the plant has the ability to survive cultivated vegetation, has tenacious properties, spreads independently and is a perennial species.

The chemical method of controlling plants is used over large areas. In small areas, mowing and sowing grass for the lawn are used. It is important to carry out work in areas where the plant is active wearing thick clothing that protects the skin and a mask.

Video about the dangers of hogweed

It is not difficult to get a burn from hogweed, especially if you don’t know what it looks like. If you lightly touch the plant with your hand, you will feel a burning sensation, like from nettles, but those who get lost in the poisonous thickets will be much less lucky. The video below describes all the dangers of such a flower:

Hogweed poisonous plant- a perennial flower, famous today for its healing effect on the human body. The herb hogweed helps get rid of disorders, diseases of the body and restore human health.

What does hogweed look like - description of the grass

The stem of the plant is hollow, ribbed, covered with hard hairs that are unpleasant to the touch. The grass branches are located on top of the stem, creating a white big flower, consisting of many inflorescences. Siberian hogweed has a pleasant but subtle smell that can be confused with blooming house flowers.

Siberian hogweed differs from other types of plants in its long, strong roots, which penetrate into the deep layers of the earth, becoming saturated with groundwater. The leaves of the grass are quite large - 1 leaf grows 0.5 meters in length during the summer. The petioles of hogweed are covered with scales, the same as those on the stem. The upper side of the grass leaves is smooth and slightly hairy (hairiness is noticeable in the middle of the leaf vein).

The giant hogweed species begins flowering in late June or July. The whitish flowers are collected in a tall umbrella, in which the plant’s seeds are located. Double grain (fruits of the grass) ripen in mid-August. Should I collect them earlier? No, because the fruits will not contain the vitamins and nutrients that are required to treat diseases of the skin and internal organs.

Where does hogweed grow?

The description of the grass makes it clear that this is a heat-loving plant that lives in middle lane Russia. In addition, the grass is found in Altai, the Caucasus, the Urals and Siberia. Less commonly, Siberian hogweed is found in fields, clearings and meadows (this phenomenon has been noticed only in warm regions of the country).

Due to the fact that the grass reproduces by self-seeding, it can be found along the road, under fences, along houses, in heavily overgrown bushes, at the entrance to a dense forest.

Today about 70 species are known of this plant, each of which is endowed with toxic substances, acids, micro- and macroelements. You can get rid of diseases of the skin or internal organs (burns, blisters, gastrointestinal diseases) after making a correct diagnosis and prescribing a prescription from a doctor. In other cases, the herb is considered hazardous to health, so using decoctions or solutions yourself is strictly prohibited.

Poisonous hogweed plant - how to deal with burns

Why is hogweed dangerous? Almost all types of grass are dangerous to health - the plant can harm the respiratory system, digestion, vision and skin. The grass causes great danger in summer time during the flowering period. Siberian hogweed causes a severe allergic reaction, which is caused by the pungent odor, sap or pollen of the plant. Medicine knows of cases where a person received toxic poisoning from the aroma.

The coumarins and essential oils located in the stem and leaves form burns on the skin when the flower is touched. As a result, the patient will feel nausea and vomiting, dizziness and pain in the upper and frontal part of the head.

When flowering, the grass is especially dangerous for humans. When hogweed juice comes into contact with open skin, it increases the skin's sensitivity to the sun's rays. As a result, under their influence, a person develops burns and large blisters. A huge threat from this plant is observed among people susceptible to constant allergic reactions - in in this case the effect of skin damage is unpredictable. Therefore, it is important only to inspect the plant and under no circumstances touch it.

Important: a doctor is involved who assesses the degree of skin damage and prescribes effective ointments that can relieve inflammation.

Types of grass

The only way to get rid of blisters that cause skin burns is with the help of a medical professional. Depending on the type of plant, its benefits to the body are determined.

There are 2 main types of hogweed, endowed with many useful properties, which are able to treat the body from various pathologies:

Siberian hogweed

This type of grass is not distinguished by its strong growth and size of flowers. In addition, it is harmless to humans. The flowers of this plant are greenish-yellow. Inflorescences are collected in lush bushes, located on the upper part of the stem. Today this type of hogweed is found in many regions of the country.

The fruits of the flower are small, ovoid in shape. Important: the plant is not harmful to human health, since it does not contain coumarins or essential oils. In addition, the grass differs from other species in its sensitizing effect.

Before cabbage appeared in gardens, soups were made from the roots of this species, or pickled, or fried. The fact is that the roots taste like cabbage.

Siberian hogweed - useful and effective medicine, from which useful medicinal decoctions or solutions are made. They are able to calm a person during convulsions, nervous disorders, and epilepsy.

This plant is much larger than the previous species. Grows in Asia and Europe. The seeds of this species are considered valuable because they are endowed with a pleasant aroma, essential oils and tannins.
The oil obtained from the leaves contains acetic acid, aldehydes and vitamins.

Common hogweed helps get rid of gastrointestinal diseases.

Burns from this type can develop on the skin due to penetration into the body through clothing and shoes. Therefore, it is important to protect yourself from encountering the plant in order to avoid unpleasant consequences (burns cause severe pain that only medications can relieve).

Properties of the herb

Since ancient times, hogweed has been famous healing properties, which brought significant benefits to the body. This has a wound-healing, stimulating, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory effect.
Psoralens are made from the components of the herb (roots, leaves, stem), which are needed for other similar diseases. The flowers of the plant are endowed with a huge amount of nectar and pollen, which is used in the treatment of wounds, ulcers, purulent inflammations, asthma and epilepsy. Medicines rich in essential oils and acids that fight jaundice and liver diseases are made from the roots.

The grass contains a large number of microelements: calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, copper, which make it possible to fight almost all current diseases of the body.
The leaves of the grass are endowed with carotene, tannins, chlorophyll and essential oils needed for the treatment of skin and diseases internal systems and human organs.

What does hogweed treat?

This plant treats many pathologies and disorders of the body. Important: treatment is prescribed by a doctor who will take into account the characteristics of the patient’s body and make the correct diagnosis of the disease.
Diseases that can be treated with hogweed:

• epilepsy;
• skin disorders (burns, abscesses, wounds);
• gynecological tumors;
• jaundice;
• bronchial asthma;
• lymphadenitis;
• kidney inflammation;
• cholelithiasis;
• stomach and intestinal disorders;
• dysentery;
• increased appetite;
• scabies;
• rheumatism;
• convulsions.

Infusions, teas, decoctions and baths are made from hogweed - the choice of this treatment depends on the severity and extent of the disease, as well as the condition of the patient.

Contraindications for use

In order not to cause burns and an allergic reaction, it is worth determining how the body affects the components of the plant, whether you have hypersensitivity to its components. The only contraindication to the use of decoctions is intolerance to the components, which poses a serious danger to the body.

Fotodom

What does hogweed look like?

In fact, there are about seventy species of this plant, but only one of them - Sosnowski's hogweed - is deadly. It looks characteristic - an umbrella inflorescence with small white flowers, carved light green leaves and a thick hollow stem covered with fibers with purple dots or purple spots. Hogweed willingly and very quickly fills vacant lots and abandoned areas, grows rapidly, and can add 10-12 centimeters in height in just one day.

Why is hogweed dangerous?

Despite the belief that only hogweed juice is dangerous, this is not true. Any contact of the plant with skin is toxic. The plant contains a toxic substance - coumarin bergapten, which increases the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. In other words, hogweed juice works like a lens, concentrating sunlight, increasing the severity of the burn. If the juice gets on your skin, but in the evening or at night, then there may be no damage until you go out into the sun. Characteristic symptoms of a hogweed burn are itching, burning, blisters, fever, chills, and Quincke's edema. If the affected area is large, non-healing ulcers may form. If more than 80% of the body is burned, it can be fatal. If the juice gets into the eyes, complete blindness can occur.

What to do if you are burned by hogweed

TASS/Alexander Nikolaev

Surprisingly, do not try to immediately wash the juice from the bucket or sink. The best thing you can do is to wrap the affected area with any rag, depriving it of access to sunlight. Then, under artificial dim light, thoroughly rinse the areas where the juice could get in, warm water With baking soda, since essential oils are difficult to wash off. For minor burns, you can lubricate the affected areas with synthomycin ointment, Rescuer, Panthenol, Olazol spray or zinc ointment. It is strictly forbidden to open the blisters - the wounds may become infected.

Remember that it is forbidden to go out into the sun for at least two days after contact with hogweed! Even if it seems that the juice is no longer on the skin, it could act at the cellular level, and the burn will not be long in coming.

If children have suffered from hogweed, if the burn reaches an area of ​​more than 10% of the body, if you have a fever, if the blisters merge into one large one, if your breathing quickens and you have difficulty breathing, consult a doctor immediately.

How to deal with hogweed

If this monster appears in your garden, then remember that you need to destroy it in cloudy weather or after sunset. Try to find the thickest possible clothing with long sleeves and long legs, and stock up on waterproof gloves and boots. Treat your skin with sunscreen. Do not use pruners or trimmers to prevent sap from splashing on you. If you prefer to work with someone in pairs, then maintain some distance between each other.

Unfortunately, it must be said that it is very difficult to destroy hogweed - the root of the plant can live up to 12 years.

Read about summer bites and other types of burns.

Hogweed (lat. Heracleum)- a genus of the Umbrella family, numbering, according to various sources, from 40 to 70 species of plants, distributed in areas with temperate climate Eastern hemisphere. Some species of hogweed are grown as silage or food plants; there are species that have medicinal properties, and some representatives of the genus are grown as ornamental plants. But one hogweed poses a serious danger. We will tell you where Sosnovsky's hogweed came from, why this species of hogweed is dangerous, what types of hogweed are popular in culture and what properties do representatives of this genus have.

Hogweed plant - description

What does a hogweed plant look like?

Hogweeds are biennial or perennial herbs height from 20 cm to 2.5 m. Their stems, as a rule, are hollow, with sparse pubescence or pubescent along the entire length. Very large trifoliate, doubly trifoliate or pinnately divided leaves of hogweed are collected in a basal rosette. The flowers of plants of this genus are bright pink, white or greenish-yellow, forming complex umbrellas up to 40 cm in diameter. Most hogweeds bloom in May, but the duration of flowering varies for each species. The fruit of the hogweed is a two-seeded plant. Hogweed seeds ripen in July-September.

Types and varieties of hogweed

Not many species of hogweed can be found in cultivation.

is a large biennial North African and Eurasian plant with a hollow, grooved stem covered with stiff hairs. The seeds of the plant are valuable because they contain aromatic oil, which contains octyl ester of acetic acid.

or pican, or beam - a species that grows throughout Europe, as well as in the Ciscaucasia and Western Siberia. Is it biennial or perennial with a powerful vertical rhizome, a single hollow, ribbed and branched stem in the upper part up to 180 cm high and large, rough, lobed or pinnately dissected (sometimes twice or thrice) round-ovate leaves. Lower leaves– petiolate, the upper ones are not as large as the lower ones. Inflorescences are large complex umbels on 15-30 pubescent rays: the larger central umbels consist of bisexual flowers, and the lateral ones - of male, often sterile. The flowers are yellowish-green. Flowering occurs in summer, and fruiting occurs from July to September. The fruits are bare fruits. The whole plant exudes pleasant aroma. Siberian hogweed is a medicinal and food plant: in Siberia, caviar is made from it, which tastes like eggplant; soup with Siberian hogweed has a mushroom aroma.

Hairy hogweed (Heracleum villosum)

or bear Paw suitable for use as a spice. It's biennial herbaceous plant, in the first year it develops a basal rosette, and in the second year it develops stems, flowers and fruits. Its rhizome is thick, white, fusiform, the stem is erect, round, grooved, up to 1.5 m high with a diameter of 3-5 cm. The leaves are petiolate, round, elliptical, pubescent, green, up to 60 cm long and up to 10 cm wide, with In this case, the basal leaves are much larger than the stem leaves. Small white bisexual flowers are collected in umbels with a diameter of 15-20 cm. The fruit is a bare oblong achene.

– decorative deciduous perennial species. Its ribbed, glandular-pubescent stems branching in the upper part reach a height of 3 to 5 m and form a loose, spreading bush. The lower trifoliate or pinnately dissected leaves are located on long petioles. The upper ones are stalked, sessile, with large and swollen vaginas. The leaves, like the stems, are covered with reddish spots. Numerous white flowers of Hogweed Mantegazzi, collected in large complex umbrella-shaped inflorescences up to 1 m in diameter, have a specific odor. Flowering of this species occurs in June-July.

or poisonous hogweed is a large herbaceous plant that was cultivated as a silage crop in the mid-20th century, not suspecting that it would go wild and begin to spread into the natural ecosystems of Northern and Eastern Europe. Today it can be found on the banks of reservoirs, wastelands, forest edges and clearings, mountain slopes, river valleys, along roads and in uncultivated fields in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Scandinavian countries, Belarus, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. The leaves and fruits of plants of this species contain a large amount essential oils, containing furanocoumarins, which, when in contact with the skin, increase its sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, and this leads to severe burns. Therefore, it is better to avoid any plant similar to hogweed.

Sosnowski's hogweed grass is a very large biennial or perennial plant that blooms and bears fruit only once, and then dies. It reaches a height of 1 to 4 m. It has a rod root system, reaching a depth of 2 m, but the bulk of the roots are located no deeper than 30 cm. The stem of the plant is rough, furrowed-ribbed, purple or green with purple spots, partially fleecy, with large trifoliate or pinnately dissected yellowish-green leaves ranging from 1 ,4 to 2 m. Complex umbels of inflorescences up to 80 cm in diameter consist of 30-75 rays with numerous pink or white flowers, of which there can be up to 80,000 on one plant. Flowering continues from July to August, and the broadly elliptical or obovate fruits are long 10-12 cm ripen from July to September.

Hogweed burns

Treatment of burns from hogweed

You can get burns from the juice and pollen of Sosnowski's hogweed not only through direct contact of the plant with your skin, but also through clothing. If the juice splashes on you abundantly, liquid-filled blisters form on the skin, which take a very long time to fall off and leave behind ulcers, scars and dark spots. Children most often suffer from hogweed burns: they play with the hollow stems of the plant, making spitting tubes out of them and resulting in burns to their lips and oral mucosa. If 80% of the body surface is burned, death is possible.

How to treat burns from hogweed? After contact with the plant, you need to wash the areas where you touched the hogweed. running water With laundry soap, rinse (just rinse, not wipe) them with alcohol, vodka or cologne and protect them from sunlight for several days. This is very important: the sun's rays should not reach the area of ​​skin contact with the hogweed for at least two days.. To relieve itching, apply oak bark lotions to the affected areas (1 tablespoon of bark is boiled for 10 minutes in 2 glasses of water) or strong tea. If burns do appear, treat them with synthomycin liniment or sodium usninate on fir balsam. But in case:

• more than 10% of the body surface is covered with burns;
• large confluent blisters appeared;
• damaged eyes or mucous membranes of the mouth or nose;
• allergic reactions appeared - swelling of the nasopharynx, skin rash or bronchospasms;
• body temperature rose and vomiting began

you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Sosnovsky's hogweed is most dangerous during the flowering period and on sunny days. If contact with the plant occurs on a cloudy day, and then you are not exposed to sunlight for two days, you will not get a burn.

Fighting hogweed on the site

How to get rid of hogweed

Most The best way Protect yourself and your loved ones from hogweed burns by removing this plant from your site. Start fighting the plant chemicals(herbicides) should be applied at the moment of emergence of its shoots and frequent and intensive treatments should be carried out until the very beginning of hogweed flowering. The concentration of the solution should be 2-3 times stronger than suggested in the instructions. Three sprayings with a break of 2-3 weeks will be enough. Chemical treatment is carried out on a cloudy day, taking all precautions: wearing thick clothes with long sleeves, trousers and gloves. After work, clothes must be washed.

However, if flowering has already begun, then chemical treatment will not give results, and you will have to cut off and burn the inflorescences so that the plant does not reproduce by self-sowing: hogweed seeds are formed in large quantities, and many of them, having fallen to the ground, will germinate in the spring.

An effective way to control if the hogweed on the site has grown greatly is to burn it. This method requires great care: the plants are doused with flammable liquid so that all the inflorescences with fruits get wet. And keep in mind that when burned, the fruits will release flammable essential oils.

They fight against hogweed using agrotechnical methods: using a flat cutter they cut off the roots of the plant at a depth of 5-10 cm, cutting off the growth point. But if a large area is occupied by hogweed, you will have to resort to plowing, which is carried out several times per growing season, and depending on the weediness of the field, you will have to do this for 2-7 years. In autumn, plowing in an area with hogweed cannot be carried out, since it will contribute to the accumulation of its seeds in the soil.

Small hogweed shoots are destroyed during weeding, but they can appear not only in the spring, but throughout the summer, so regularly inspect the area and destroy young plants.

What not to do when destroying hogweed

Firstly, You should not mow hogweed at the moment of fruit set, unless you intend to burn it immediately. Cut, torn or mowed plants should not be left in place as the stem has a large reserve nutrients, which will allow the seeds to ripen, because seeds that have reached milk maturity can give life to a new plant.