Town of Sweden News

Giant Hogweed

Residents may be aware that our area has seen the emergence of an invasive noxious plant commonly referred to as Giant Hogweed. This plant tends to grow in and around roadside ditches and stream banks, but can also be found in open field areas and hedgerows. Recent locations discovered within the Town of Sweden include areas on Beadle Road, Colby Street and Swamp Road. The plant can be identified by it’s very large leaves, thick stalk and flowering tops which look similar to Queen Anne’s Lace, but can be upwards of two feet across. The plant itself may grow upwards of ten feet in height.

Giant Hogweed has been placed on the federal noxious weed list because of it’s potential as a public health hazard. Human contact with the sap of the Giant Hogweed may cause severe burns, blistering, painful sores and purplish or blackened scars.

If you suspect that Giant Hogweed may be in your area, please call the Town of Sweden Highway Department at 637-3369. Further information regarding Giant Hogweed may be obtained by accessing the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website at www.dec.ny.gov Once you are on the site, click on Animals, Plants, Aquatic Life and then scroll down to Giant Hogweed. Another website that has information is Cornell Cooperative Extension at www.cce.cornell.edu. From their homepage, click on Environmental and Natural Resources and then Invasive Species. You can then scroll down to Giant Hogweed.