Big leaves, small threat
A Pennsylvania agriculture agent with leaves from a giant hogweed plant (July 9, 2003) Credit: AP
At up to 14 feet tall and laden with sap that can cause blindness, giant hogweed sounds like a fearsome invader indeed. But like so many giants, it turns out to have feet of clay, at least locally -- and appears to be scarce on Long Island.
That's a good thing. Originally from the Caucasus Mountain region of Central Asia, Heracleum mantegazzianum really is a bit of a nasty beast, with sap that can leave permanent scars. It was introduced to Europe and later this country as an ornamental plant, and as is so often the case, it took off, spreading across New York, New England and other mostly northern states.
Fortunately, New York's giant hogweed mainly lives upstate. Let's keep it that way. If you see what looks like giant hogweed in your yard, you can send digital photos to the state Department of Environmental Conservation for help in identifying it. The DEC website has information on dealing with the plant. The main thing is, don't touch it.
Giant hogweed is far from Long Island's biggest invasive-species worry; bamboo spreads like, well, kudzu, and a number of invaders are quite properly banned from sale in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Yet it's worth keeping all this in perspective. An awful lot of the living things on Long Island -- including most of the people -- can trace their roots to far-off places. The world is getting smaller, so vigilance about imported flora and fauna is warranted. Panic isn't. hN
