giant hogweed

Young Giant Hogweed. The start of an infestation!

May 7, 2012

From far away, hard to spot as anything but another weed in Spring. How to Identify Giant Hogweed- Hogweed can be distinguished from common hogweed and cow parsley by its characteristic size. Its leaves can grow to 1.5m across and have a rough edged spikey appearance. Stems are green with dark-red or purple blotches (like [...]

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Do Invasive Species Spread in Winter?

November 28, 2011

With the warm late summer and mild days at the start of autumn seeming more and more like a distant memory, humans and animals are not the only things hunkering down to sit out the short cold days of winter ahead.  The changing hues of the autumn leaves are the most obvious sign of this but [...]

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Why are invasive species like Japanese Knotweed and Hogweed a problem?

October 27, 2011

Basically they’re known as invasive species because they are invading!  After being introduced into this country from other ecosystems they have been spreading and outcompeting native plants ever since, devaluing and damaging property in the process.  That sounds like the plot of a sinister sci-fi film, a horticultural horror story, they’re just plants, how bad [...]

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