giant hogweed

It may look like a regular plant, but this Giant Hogweed is anything but. A simple brush of the skin can mean serious problems.
Department of Environmental Conservation Spokesperson Diane Carlton said, "Touching the leaves, the stem or the flowers can give you an extremely severe sunburn, what it does is it prevents your skin from taking some of those rays that come from the sun and it will burn you within 15 minutes."
Because of that, the DEC wants you to be on the lookout. The invasive species originated near the Black and Caspian Seas. It can now be found in a number of states on both coasts, including New York. In our region Oneida and Cayuga Counties have the most hogweed sites.
giant hogweed