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There are many types of plants in the wild. Some of them people use for food or for livestock feed. Another group of plants is called weeds. Among them there are varieties that are dangerous and harmless to humans. A plant such as hogweed has been known to people since ancient times. It was even grown on a plantation.
Unfortunately, in recent years, hogweed has become a malicious weed. But even this is not the worst thing, the fact is that there are poisonous varieties whose juice causes burns. In the article we will try to tell you how to treat burns from Sosnovsky’s hogweed.
Description
Hogweeds are monocarpic plants. Let’s put it simply: as soon as the fruits ripen in the umbrellas, the plants die off. Many of our readers and users are interested in what hogweed looks like. Grow depending on the species, under favorable conditions up to 3, and others up to 6 meters in height. Hogweed has a powerful, hollow, slightly ribbed stem. It has hard hairs. The leaves start towards the top of the plant. They are large, up to 50 cm long, mounted on scaly petioles. From above, the leaves are smooth, hairs are present only along the vein in the middle.
The root system is powerful, they survive even in drought. Although hogweed propagates with seeds that ripen in a large umbrella.
In nature, there are 70 species of hogweed. This plant grows almost throughout Our Country. Here it is, a flowering cow parsnip, according to the photo and description, you can’t say that this is a harmful and poisonous plant. The plants look beautiful!
Types of hogweed
Poisonous varieties
Among the plants, there are species that carry a danger, since the hogweed is a poisonous plant.
- The most tenacious and dangerous is Sosnovsky’s cow parsnip. It was brought to Our Country as an ornamental plant. They grow up to three meters in height. White or pink flowers of Sosnovsky’s hogweed are collected in large umbrellas.
- In another variety – wild hogweed, growing up to 2 meters, the flowers are white. This poisonous plant can be found in the southern regions of Our Country.
- Hogweed Mantegazzi is a perennial that resembles a tree, because its height is almost 6 meters. This herb hogweed grows in the Caucasus. Among the representatives of the family, this is the most poisonous plant.
Look at the photo below, it seems that the girl got into an enchanted forest with huge flowers.
Harmless Species
In Our Country, varieties of hogweed harmless to humans grow:
- Siberian hogweed is a low plant with light yellow leaves. The inflorescence is an umbrella with small white flowers. Ripe small fruits look like eggs.
- Hogweed dissected grows in the forests and steppes of Siberia. Favorite place – the banks of the rivers. The flowers are white, the umbrellas are large. The leaves are large, consists of several plates, as if someone had cut them.
- The place of growth of the hairy hogweed is the Caucasus, Crimea, Asia Minor. Plant height up to 150 cm.
After watching the video, you can find out the main differences between Sosnovsky and Siberian hogweed:
Where does the name come from
In scientific language – Heracleum. This name was given to the plant by the ancient Roman scientist Pliny after the name of the famous ancient hero. Indeed, if you carefully read the description and look at the photo of the natural giant, then he is somewhat similar to the mythical hero Hercules. Most likely, its power and vitality. After all, a hogweed plant grows by 10 cm in a day!
Our Country has its own version of the origin of the name. These plants have been eaten in Our Country since ancient times. All parts of non-poisonous weed species contain a large amount of useful substances. The plant contains a lot of:
- carbohydrates;
- proteinaceous;
- vitamins;
- trace elements: zinc, copper, manganese, iron, calcium.
In the old days, the plant was called borscht. The roots went for fermentation, they were pickled and salted like cabbage. Basically, delicious nutritious borscht was cooked from parts of the plant. Many people in the years of severe trials owe their lives to hogweed. Cooked food tastes good.
In addition, the plant has medicinal properties:
- removed helminths from animals;
- added when preparing silage for farm animals;
- treated for psoriasis;
- treated festering wounds, asthma and epilepsy;
- prepared potions containing borscht juice were used for pain in the liver, for the treatment of Botkin’s disease.
What is the danger of poisonous hogweed
Despite the benefits, a poisonous plant can harm a person. The question of why hogweed is dangerous worries many people.
About Sosnovsky’s hogweed:
Sosnovsky’s poisonous hogweed affects the skin even through clothing, causing skin burns. The picture is similar in signs to a sunburn. That is why a person must be able to distinguish between a useful and a poisonous plant.
Depending on contact with a poisonous plant, signs of damage can be presented:
- slight redness;
- blisters;
- deep ulcers.
See how burns from Sosnovsky’s hogweed look in the photo.
Itching and burning appear at the sites of the lesion. In addition, a person becomes lethargic, shivering, may feel dizzy and have a headache. In case of severe poisoning, the temperature may rise. Fair-skinned and fair-haired people, as well as children, suffer the most.
Poisoning is often accompanied by allergies, runny nose, cough, bouts of bronchospasm, skin edema. Often there is Quincke’s edema.
If the skin was affected in a mild form, then a pigment spot may remain. A severe burn is accompanied by the appearance of blisters and long non-healing wounds. If skin damage reaches 80%, then it is very difficult to save a person.
First aid
Most often, they begin to treat a burn with Sosnovsky’s cow parsnip at home, providing first aid. What steps to take:
- To remove essential oils, immediately wash the affected area with soapy water (it is best to use laundry soap) or dilute baking soda.
- You can use a solution of furacilin or a pink pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for washing.
- Lubricate the skin with any cream to soften.
- Don’t go outside for a few days.
How to protect yourself and your family from the consequences of a meeting with a poisonous plant:
In the future, after contact with hogweed, burns are treated with lotions:
- from freshly brewed strong tea;
- decoction of oak bark. The crushed bark is poured with two glasses of water and boiled for 10 minutes.
- Decoctions of the root of the burnet. A large spoonful of the drug is poured into a glass of water, boiled for a third of an hour.
After this procedure, lubricate the affected area with lavender oil.
In case of serious burns, you need to contact the clinic. The attending physician will prescribe a treatment regimen and pharmaceutical preparations. Most often prescribed:
- Synthomycin ointment;
- gel Rescuer;
- aerosol Panthenol;
- spray Olazol;
- Zinc ointment.
An infection can get into an open wound, treatment will be complicated.
Conclusion or how to avoid trouble
According to the characteristics, a burn can be obtained by contact with any part of the Sosnowsky hogweed. Today, this dangerous weed has spread over large areas throughout almost the entire territory of Our Country. You won’t even understand right away that the poison of the plant hit the skin or eyes. Symptoms appear later, especially if the person continues to stay in the sun.
Can the problem be avoided? Of course, if you follow the precautions:
- Firstly, children need to be explained that it is impossible to touch unfamiliar plants, it is harmful even to play next to them.
- Secondly, to teach to recognize useful and dangerous plants.
- Thirdly, if a dangerous weed has appeared on the site, measures must be taken to destroy it. You need to work in cloudy weather in thick clothes and a mask.
- After weeding, change clothes and wash well with soap.
- Plant remains must be burned.