Gardeners! Join the Fight to Stop Giant Hogweed!

Pennsylvania is winning its battle against Giant Hogweed, a noxious, invasive weed that can cause blistering and scarring on the skin of susceptible people, but more work remains.

Thanks to help from property owners statewide 'Nearly 80 percent of the known Giant Hogweed sites have been eradicated,' said state Agriculture Secretary George Greig. 'While we must remain vigilant, the goal of completely eradicating the invasive weed is achievable.' While more than half of confirmed Giant Hogweed sites in Pennsylvania are located in Erie County they also have been sighted in 11 other counties- including Carbon, Susquehanna and Wayne counties.

Giant Hogweed is spread naturally by seeds from a flowering plant, which can be windblown and scattered or carried by water. The ability of the seeds to remain alive in soil for many years makes prevention of seed production critical. Total eradication requires three years of repeated mechanical and chemical treatments to exhaust the seed bank at each location.

Residents with suspected sightings of a new plant population or an active preexisting site are asked to call the Giant Hogweed Hotline at 1-877-464-9333. Agriculture department field staff will schedule a site inspection.

How to Recognize Giant Hogweed: The best time to identify Giant Hogweed is when it's blooming, usually in June or July. The many small, white flowers are clustered into a flat-topped umbel up to 2½ ft. across. Stems are hollow, ridged, 2-4 inches in diameter, 8-14 ft. tall, with purple blotches and coarse white hairs. The hairs are especially prominent that circle the stem at the base of the leaf stalks. Leaves are lobed, deeply incised and up to 5 ft. across. Fruit (containing the seed) is dry, flattened, oval, about 3/8 in. long and tan with brown lines.

Brochures to aid in the identification of the plant are available at Department of Agriculture website at www.agriculture.state.pa.us and type “Giant Hogweed brochure” in the search box at the top right corner. Or go to http://extension.psu.edu/ and type in “Giant Hogweed” in the box next to the “Search College” field. For more information from PDA, contact the department’s Noxious Weed Program Manager Melissa Bravo at 717-787-7204. Or contact your local cooperative extension office. In Lackawanna County ask for the Garden Help line at 963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu


Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County