Hogweed - useful properties and danger to humans. Hogweed - a dangerous giant Hogweed woolly

hogweed- herbaceous perennial, a representative of the Umbrella family.

This is one of the most malicious weeds, which are unsuccessfully fought in many countries.

Hogweed is a hollow tall stem with large leaves and small flowers (see photo).

The botanical name of the plant sounds like Heracleum or Heracleum. The name was given by Carl Linnaeus in honor of Hercules, the mighty son of Zeus. The world flora has about 70 species of this plant. The length of its leaves ranges from 2 to 3.5 m, it is this fact that contributed to the consolidation of the name of the plant in botany. In German and Danish, the name of the herb means "bear's paw". The name "hogweed" comes from the word "borscht" linguists suggest that at that time this word meant "something jagged". There is a version according to which the plant was called "borscht" because of the shape of the leaves, because in German Borste means "bristle". Greens began to be used for cooking, the dish to which it was added was also called "borscht". Since the 18th century, the word "borscht" began to mean soup with beets, and hogweed began to be forgotten more and more.

In the Soviet Union, hogweed appeared in the post-war period. Stalin learned that in North America this plant is grown as a valuable fodder crop and ordered it to be grown everywhere. In America, only one type of plant grows - woolly hogweed. After Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev began to grow hogweed. Hogweed in the 70s began to be grown in Poland on the advice of the USSR. The Poles quickly became disillusioned with the plant, as cow's milk after the cow ate hogweed became bitter. For a long time, hogweed was called in Poland "Stalin's revenge." Then the cultivation on the scale of the USSR was suspended, which did not affect the fate of the plant itself: the hogweed began to actively multiply, turning into a weed. Due to the fact that the grass was grown for a long time as a silage crop, the cow parsnip moved into the wild, its growth was no longer controlled. The spread of hogweed upset the ecological balance in the nearest European countries, for example, in the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Belarus, entire programs were drawn up to combat this dangerous plant.

It should also be noted the toxicity of hogweed. Almost all parts of the plant accumulate furocomarins, which have photodynamic activity. The presence of these substances, as well as coumarins, increases the sensitivity of the skin to the perception of direct sunlight. Upon contact with the plant, dermatitis appears on the skin under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The plant causes grade III dermatitis, even deaths among children have been noted, death has occurred from burns. Hogweed dermatitis resolves within 3-6 months, but scars may remain.

If it gets into the eyes, there is a high probability of blindness.

Cases of blindness in children have been noted when they unknowingly used the stem of a plant as a telescope.

How to treat a burn with cow parsnip at home?

If, upon contact with a herbaceous plant such as hogweed, you have a burn, you should immediately wash the affected area of the body under cool running water using laundry soap. If the burn covers a large part of the body, you need to take a contrast shower, applying a thick layer of soapy foam to the body.

After that, it is necessary to make such a solution for lotions: dilute five tablets of furacilin in five glasses of water. Next, take a piece of gauze, soak it in the mixture and apply it to the affected part of the body. Lotions are made for a quarter of an hour. Then the burn site should be treated with either baby powder, which will include zinc, or zinc ointment. You also need to drink any anti-allergic agent that you have in your medicine cabinet, and try not to go outside for two days, so as not to get a sunburn, as a burn from hogweed juice makes the skin of the body quite susceptible to sunlight.

In the absence of furacilin, you can use ordinary baking soda. To do this, the affected area of \u200b\u200bthe skin must first be moistened with boiled water, and then sprinkled with plenty of soda on top. This powder should be changed every thirty minutes.

How else can you treat burns from hogweed? Proponents of an alternative method of treatment advise separating the egg white from the yolk and whisking with a whisk to relieve severe pain and prevent blisters. Then lubricate the skin with protein foam.

In addition, in folk medicine there are recipes for making lotions from lavender oil, burnet and oak bark decoction, which help as effectively as traditional methods of treatment.

Lavender oil is applied to the burn site to relieve severe pain and also prevent the development of microbes.

To make a lotion from burnet, you need to grind a little root of the plant so that a tablespoon comes out, which must be poured with two hundred milliliters of enough hot water and kept in a water bath for about twenty minutes.

A decoction on oak bark is done as follows. For four hundred milliliters of water, a couple of teaspoons of ground oak root are required. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for about ten minutes. Apply to skin when chilled.

It should be remembered that in the treatment of burns from hogweed, all lotions are made at intervals of three hours. A clean piece of gauze is soaked in the solution and applied to the skin for ten minutes.

In addition to the use of folk methods, you should immediately seek help from a doctor so that he prescribes an additional course of treatment.

How to fight?

It is possible and necessary to fight the cow parsnip. The most dangerous species is Sosnovsky's cow parsnip. You can get rid of it only mechanically. Seeds are often burned while they are dry.

To destroy the plant, you need to choose a cloudy day or evening. The person who will remove the cow parsnip must be dressed in a protective suit, and be sure to protect your eyes with goggles, and preferably with a protective mask. The fact is that when mowing, the juice of the plant will be sprayed on the sides, and it is likely that it will get on the skin. Therefore, the suit must be made of dense fabric, gloves must be on the hands.

If the juice still gets on the skin, the following measures must be taken. First, immediately wash the skin with running water and laundry soap. Secondly, the area must be treated with an agent containing alcohol, it can be cologne, vodka. If, nevertheless, burns appear, they should be treated with synthomycin linimenton. Bandages are prohibited.

At their summer cottage, they fight with cow parsnip by sowing the territory with lawn grass. To begin with, the plant should be mowed, then a geo-canvas should be spread on top and covered with earth that was not affected by Heraclitus. Very dense lawn grass is planted in the ground. In small areas of growth, the following method will be effective: the hogweed is covered with a dense black film, pressed well to the ground. The effectiveness of this method is due to the fact that the ground under the film will be very hot, but the sun's rays will not be able to penetrate under the film. In this case, the plant will simply die.

Types of hogweed

The most common types of Heraclitus are:

Sosnovsky's hogweed - it was grown in Europe as a high-yielding fodder crop. The plant was mainly used as silage for livestock. The plant gave a specific smell to the milk and meat of animals that consumed them. This type of plant is considered very poisonous.
Siberian hogweed - for the first time it became known in 1819 in the sowing leaf of the London Botanical Garden. It never received wide distribution.
Hogweed of Mantegation is the most famous species of this plant, it first became known from the mention of the Royal Botanic Gardens. The plant quickly spread throughout Europe. This species is also considered very dangerous.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of hogweed are due to its composition. The plant contains tannins, essential oils, sugars, vitamin C, arginine, trace elements.

Not all types of hogweed are poisonous, for example, Siberian hogweed does not contain high amounts of coumarins, making it relatively safe.

In addition, the photosensitizing properties of coumarins are effective not only in contact with the skin, but also when taken internally. Using this property, on their basis they began to produce cosmetics for tanning, drugs for the treatment of vitiligo.

The plant is also a powerful oxygen producer and carbon dioxide absorber.

Application in cooking

In cooking, hogweed has long been used to make borscht. Young leaves were usually added to vegetable and meat soups. The shoots of the hostess were often pickled, and candied fruits were made from the stems. The leaves were often dried, but before that they were thoroughly soaked in order to remove the essential oil and coumarins. Sugar was obtained from the plant, from which vodka was then driven.

In the Caucasus, hogweed is still considered one of the main food plants. Grass stalks are scalded with boiling water and consumed as an independent dish. Also, the stems are served to the table fried.

Hogweed shaggy is a well-known seasoning. It is used in the production of pickled cheeses in the Caucasus. However, before use, hogweed is usually soaked, scalded, salted, and boiled.

The benefits of hogweed and treatment

The benefits of the plant have long been known to folk medicine. For medicinal purposes, the safest species is used - Siberian hogweed.

Official medicine does not recognize the benefits of the plant, perhaps in the future studies will be conducted that will confirm its medicinal properties.

Traditional medicine uses decoctions of the roots, the aerial part. The plant is effective for spasms, kidney diseases. A decoction of the roots is used for skin diseases that are accompanied by itching. Leaves when applied externally are good for rheumatism.

In the field of traditional medicine, experts use such a herbaceous perennial as hogweed to cure many different diseases:

Diseases of the stomach. Five hundred milliliters of cooled boiled water will require six teaspoons of dried hogweed leaves. Combine the ingredients together and let the mixture brew for exactly one hundred and twenty minutes. During the treatment period, it is required to drink fifty milliliters of infusion up to three times a day, approximately a quarter of an hour before you start eating.
Cholelithiasis. Pour about fifteen grams of hogweed root with about two hundred milliliters of boiling water and simmer over low heat for no more than ten minutes. Then the broth must stand for another ten minutes, and then it should be filtered. Take a medicinal decoction no more than three times a day for twenty milliliters.
Toothache. Two hundred milliliters of ninety percent alcohol, pour a teaspoon of crushed hogweed root and leave to infuse for five hours. When a toothache occurs, rinse the mouth with infusion. Also, to relieve severe pain in the tooth, you will need about ten grams of dried hogweed leaves, pour a full glass of alcohol. Pour the liquid into a sealed container and put it in an unlit room for fourteen days. Alcohol-herbal tincture should be rinsed only with an aching tooth in case of severe pain..
Skin diseases. Throw fifty grams of dried hogweed herb into four hundred milliliters of boiled water (pre-cooled) and set aside to infuse for about two and a half hours. At the end of the specified period of time, the infusion must be filtered. Take four teaspoons of the herbal liquid up to four times daily, approximately a few minutes (preferably fifteen to twenty minutes) before meals.
Disorders in the digestive tract. It is necessary to pour about thirty grams of dried hogweed herb with four hundred milliliters of chilled boiled water and let it brew for about an hour and a half. Next, the infusion needs to be filtered. Every day, once a day, you need to drink no more than fifty milliliters of infusion fifteen minutes before meals.
Weak sexual function. Approximately seventy grams of the root of this perennial plant, pour five glasses of enough cold water and boil over low heat for at least ten minutes. Then let the broth brew for ten minutes, and then filter. Throughout the day, you need to drink all the medicinal herbal liquid.
Rheumatism. Pour fresh hogweed leaves with very steep boiling water, wrap with a clean cloth and apply to the sore spot.
Furunculosis. Pour fifteen grams of hogweed seeds into two hundred milliliters of water and boil for about ten minutes. Next, the broth needs to be infused for more than one hour, and then it should be filtered. In order for the disease to recede, it is necessary to drink four teaspoons of the decoction at least four times a day a quarter of an hour before you start eating.
Epilepsy, neuroses, seizures. Pour about twenty grams of ground hogweed root into one and a half glasses of water, boil and boil over low heat until the total volume of liquid is reduced by a third. Next, the broth must be filtered. Regularly it is necessary to take twenty milliliters of decoction up to six times a day.

As you can see, the perennial plant hogweed with its medicinal properties can cure many diseases. But still, before self-medicating, you should consult a qualified specialist for advice. Perhaps you have contraindications to the use of this plant, so you will need medication.

Harm of hogweed and contraindications

The plant can cause harm to the body with careless handling. Hogweed is a very poisonous plant, it is especially dangerous for a child's body.. As already mentioned, the juice of this plant causes severe dermatitis, which is treated for a long time. Also, an excess of coumarins in the body can lead to the development of vitiligo.

Hogweed is contraindicated for people who have gastritis or an increased level of acidity in the stomach. It is also not allowed to use such a plant for those patients who are coded for alcohol dependence.

In addition, some people show a very strong sensitivity to the infusion of cow parsnip. And this entails:

hallucinations;
impotence;
jumps in blood pressure;
decrease in sexual activity;
deterioration in general condition.

In case of an overdose of a therapeutic agent based on this herbaceous plant, the head may feel dizzy, a strong burning sensation of the body and itching may appear. All these symptoms will indicate poisoning. In such cases, you need to urgently call a doctor.

It is also contraindicated to take medicines using cow parsnip for children, pregnant and lactating mothers, people who have hemorrhoids, gastritis, allergies and individual intolerance.

Below is a video about how dangerous hogweed is for humans and how to deal with it.

Only negative things are said about hogweed, believing that this weed is the most dangerous and harmful of all known plants found in natural conditions. However, botanists are aware of many plant species that are harmful to livestock as well as dangerous to humans. And the cow parsnip is an alien species, which came to many regions of our country from the mountainous regions of the Caucasus 50 years ago, and today is the most famous of the "quarantine" weed species.

There are an incredible number of different rumors and fairy tales about this plant, most of which can be considered only partially true. Is this plant really as poisonous and harmful as they say?

Name and origin

hogweed(lat. ) is a genus of plants of the Umbelliferae family, numbering 52 in ida, common in the temperate zone of the Eastern Hemisphere (one species is in North America).

Description

More than 30 species of these weeds from the genus Hogweed (or Heraclium) are found on the territory of the former Soviet Union. In total, there are at least 65 varieties of hogweed in the world. And on the territory of our country there are no more than 15 species.

Some varieties of this weed reach a height of up to 4 - 4.5 m, and the main umbrella-shaped inflorescence in diameter reaches 1.0 - 1.1 m, and sometimes up to 1.5 m. Its flowers are excellent honey plants, flock to the smell and bees and wasps. The foliage of these weeds reaches a considerable size in length - up to 2 - 2.5 m, and in some specimens the length is 2.8 - 3.0 m.

Therefore, among the people, this type of weed was nicknamed "Hercules grass."

In our country, the name of this plant was given because it was used in the preparation of borscht. And in a number of regions of our country, the name was shortened to "Borschen". Another name is "bear's paw" because of the shape and size of the foliage.

Application

In some regions of Russia, young hogweed leaves were collected in the spring and added to first courses, primarily borscht. The young stems of this plant were pickled, the leaves were used for salting, and even candied fruits were prepared from the shoots. Hogweed leaves were also dried, only pre-soaked for several hours to remove some active substances - essential oils, coumarins and some others. The root system of this weed contains a large amount of sugars, so sugar was produced from them, and alcoholic beverages were also prepared.

In some regions of Transcaucasia, this plant is included in the diet of not only livestock, but is also present on the human table.

But in the United States of America, only one species of this weed grows - woolly hogweed, which is close to our sweet hogweed, which grows in the Far East. There it is actively used in cooking in the spring.

And only one species of hogweed is poisonous to humans and dangerous to pets - hogweed Sosnowski.

It spreads rapidly in the wasteland, along the edges of country roads and in neglected fields.

Under natural conditions, another species of this plant is most often found - Siberian hogweed. But this type of weed does not cause severe skin burns or serious dermatoses, because the level of coumarin (which is the cause of skin damage) in them is small.

Why does skin damage occur with hogweed

When this plant begins to grow actively, a sufficient amount of furocoumarins begins to accumulate in the aerial part of many varieties of hogweed. When the juice of such hogweed comes into contact with the skin, burns or dermatitis occur. In some cases, such dermatitis was too severe (up to grade III), and in young children, such skin diseases sometimes ended in death if there were too many such skin burns.

If hogweed is often used as food, then a huge amount of coumarins accumulates in the human body, provoking the development of a serious disease of vitiligo.

Hogweed juice contains a large amount of coumarins and furocoumarins, which are the "culprits" of increasing the sensitivity of the human body to sunlight. Such juice, having got on the skin of a person or animal, under the influence of ultraviolet rays enhances their pigmentation or causes the development of dermatitis, which some consider to be a burn.

Such properties of coumarins are manifested not only when it comes into contact with the skin, but also when taken orally.

The use of hogweed in folk medicine

This plant is widely used in folk medicine, and the raw materials of Siberian hogweed are most often used for medicinal purposes.

However, official medicine has not yet sufficiently studied the healing properties of preparations made on the basis of the aerial parts of the hogweed, as well as from its roots.

Although in folk medicine alcohol tincture from hogweed extract is actively used in the treatment of:

cholelithiasis
For some kidney diseases
Diseases of the respiratory tract (in particular, the lungs)
In case of various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

A decoction of the rhizome of this weed is used to relieve nervous excitement, and also as a sedative for skin diseases, one of the symptoms of which is severe itching.

How hogweed spread in Russia

In the mid-40s of the last century, the question arose of how and what to feed cattle in our country. And Stalin, having read that hogweed is used as the main food in America, ordered this plant to be grown on the fields of Soviet collective farms. Hogweed Sosnovsky was used as the main species grown for feed for cows and other representatives of cattle.

However, a few years later, the following disadvantages of feeding pets with this type of hogweed were identified:

cows' milk was very bitter;
the plant itself was very dangerous, since its juice caused severe burns and dermatitis not only in humans, but also in animals.

As a result, the idea of feeding cattle with this type of cow parsnip was abandoned, but, unfortunately, sufficient measures were not taken in our country to destroy the plantings of cow parsnip. As a result, this plant, prone to active self-seeding, has spread throughout the country.

Now the fight against this malicious weed has begun to bear fruit - the plantations of hogweed sosnovsky have been significantly reduced.

Hogweed Wilhelm

Sem. umbrella. Plants 142-152 cm tall. The leaves are green, large, pinnately compound, 152 cm long and 120 cm wide. The flowers are white, collected in an umbrella. With winter sowing, the seeds germinate in the third decade of May. During the first two years of life, the plants vegetate in the form of a rosette of leaves. The first flowering occurs in the third year of vegetation. The regrowth of plants for the second and subsequent years begins from April 15 - May 5; flowering - from the second half of June for 16 days, the death of leaves - from the first decade of July, the formation of summer leaves - from the second half of July. During this period, the seeds ripen. Vegetation continues until autumn frosts. Grows well in open areas. Decorative leaves and inflorescences. During the fruiting period, flower stalks and spring leaves are removed. Recommended for single and group plantings, as well as a groundcover.

Hogweed mountain

The plant is 165-230 cm high. The leaves are dark green, large, pinnatipartite, 140 cm long and 108 cm wide. The flowers are white, collected in an umbrella with a diameter of up to 60-90 cm. When sown in winter, the seeds germinate in the third decade of May. Flowering and fruiting begins in the fourth year of vegetation. Perennial specimens grow from April 9 - May 3, bloom from 5-14 June for 14-20 days, the leaves die off in the first decade of July, the formation of summer leaves occurs in the third decade of July, the seeds ripen from the second half of July, the end of the growing season is noted from October 28 - November 5. During the period of fruit formation, the leaves of the first generation and flower stalks are removed. Recommended as a groundcover and for single plantings on lawns, lawns, near ponds and among shrubs.

Hogweed Lehmann

The bush forms several stems 150-185 cm high, which branch from the middle into a wide panicle. The leaves are pale green, pinnately cut, 115-120 cm long and 60-65 cm wide. During the first four years of life, the plants vegetate in the form of a rosette of leaves. The first flowering was noted in the fifth year of life. In the future, regular flowering and fruiting are observed. Growth begins from April 5-22, flowering - from June 2-10 for 15-20 days, seed ripening - from July 5-13. The death of spring leaves is observed in the second decade of July, and the renewal of new leaves - from July 25 - August 5, the end of the growing season - from October 25 - November 2. Propagated by seeds. Winters well. Drought tolerance is high. Recommended as a groundcover and for group plantings among shrubs and trees.

Hogweed Leskov

Endem of the Caucasus. It forms bushes 135-165 cm high. The leaves are large, 140 cm long and 110 cm wide. The flowers are white, collected in an umbrella with a diameter of up to 65 cm. When sown in winter, the seeds germinate in the third decade of May. Within four years of life, the plants vegetate in the form of a rosette of leaves. The first flowering occurs in the fifth year of vegetation. Growth is observed in the second decade of April, flowering - from May 25 - June 2, for 26-29 days, seed ripening - from June 26 - July 9, spring leaves die off - in the second decade of July, summer leaves resumption - from July 5 - August 8, the end of the growing season - from October 25 - November 2. Drought-resistant, winters well. Recommended as a groundcover and for group plantings among shrubs and trees.

Hogweed whorled

The bushes have several stems 130-180 cm high, the leaves are dark green 90 cm long. The inflorescence is an umbrella, 15 cm in diameter. When sown in winter, the seeds germinate in early June. During the first two years, the plants vegetate in the form of a rosette of leaves. The first flowering occurs in the third year of life. Growth is observed from April 9-23, flowering - from June 25 - July 5 for 17-20 days, seed ripening - from July 15-20, spring leaves dying - from July 2 - August 20, formation of summer leaves - from June 30 - July 27, the end of the growing season - from October 26-November 10. Winters well. Drought tolerant. Recommended as a groundcover and for group plantings among shrubs and trees.

Siberian hogweed

A biennial or perennial plant 110-220 cm high. The leaves are dark green, large, wide, pinnate with 3-7 lobes. The flowers are yellowish-green, collected in an umbrella with a diameter of 16-20 cm. When propagated by seed, it blooms in the second year of life. Perennial specimens grow from April 13-23, bloom from June 24 to July 10, the seeds begin to ripen from the second half of July. The species has two periods of formation and growth of leaves - spring and summer (the first decade of August). Leaves are largest in spring. The duration of the growing season is 200-210 days. Propagated by seeds (winter sowing) and rhizomes (spring). Grows well in open areas and in the shade. Decorative leaves and inflorescences. During the fruiting period, flower stalks are removed. Recommended for single and group plantings, as well as a groundcover.

Hogweed Sosnovsky

Endem of the Caucasus. Plant height 190-245 cm. The leaves are large, pale green, 140 cm long and 70 cm wide. When seeds are sown in autumn, seedlings appear in the third decade of May. Blossoms and fructifies in the fourth - fifth year of vegetation. Individuals of this species behave like monocarpic plants with a 4-5 year development cycle. Growth is observed in the first half of April, flowering - from June 19-23 for 20-25 days, seed ripening - from July 12 - August 5, leaf death (spring) - in the second half of July, formation of summer leaves - from July 21 - August 5, the end of the growing season - from October 24 - November 5. Decorative with white inflorescences up to 60 cm in diameter and large leaves. The most intensive leaf growth occurs in June. Winters well. Drought tolerance is high. Recommended for single plantings on lawns, near ponds and among shrubs, as well as as a ground cover plant.

Attention! Sosnovsky's hogweed is poisonous and dangerous, its juice causes burns on the skin.

Stephen's Hogweed

Plant height 120-200 cm. The leaves are dark green, 90-117 cm long, 60-70 cm wide. The flowers are yellowish-white, collected in an umbrella with a diameter of 50-70 cm. In the autumn sowing seeds, shoots appear in the first decade of June. In the first 5 years, the plants form a rosette of 5-7 leaves. Starting from the sixth year of vegetation, all individuals regularly bloom and bear fruit. The resumption of perennial specimens is observed in the second half of April, flowering - from the first decade of June for 23-29 days, seed ripening from June 29 - July 20, leaf death - from July 12-28, formation of summer leaves - from July 30 - August 10 , the end of the growing season - from October 25 - November 5. Winters well. Grows well in open areas. Gives self-seeding. Decorative throughout the growing season with the timely removal of yellowed peduncles and leaves of the first generation. Recommended as a groundcover and for single plantings.

Hogweed rough-stemmed

Plants 130-190 cm tall. The leaves are pale green, 115 cm long and 75 cm wide. The inflorescence is an umbrella with a diameter of 20-26 cm. Seedlings appear in the first decade of June during the autumn sowing of seeds. During the first four years of life, the plants form a rosette of leaves. Flowering and fruiting begins in the fifth year of vegetation. The resumption of perennial specimens begins in the spring from April 5-22, flowering from June 9-25 for 20-26 days, seed ripening - from June 5-20 - July 12, the formation of summer leaves - from July 5-25, the end of the growing season - from October 10 - November 5. Drought-resistant, high winter hardiness. Yellowed leaves and flower stalks are removed during the period of fruit formation. Recommended for group plantings on lawns, near ponds, among shrubs and trees.

Hogweed (lat. Heracleum)- a genus of the Umbelliferae family, numbering from 40 to 70 plant species according to various sources, common in temperate regions of the Eastern Hemisphere. Some species of hogweed are grown as silage or food plants, there are species with medicinal properties, and some members of the genus are grown as ornamental plants. But one hogweed poses a serious danger. We will tell you where Sosnovsky's hogweed came from, what is the danger of this species of hogweed, what types of hogweed are popular in culture, and what properties representatives of this genus have.

Hogweed plant - description

What does a hogweed plant look like?

Hogweeds are biennial or perennial herbs from 20 cm to 2.5 m high. Their stems are usually hollow, with sparse pubescence or pubescent along the entire length. Very large triple-, double-triple or pinnatipartite leaves of hogweed are collected in a basal rosette. The flowers of plants of this genus are bright pink, white or greenish-yellow, forming complex umbrellas up to 40 cm in diameter. Most of the hogweeds bloom in May, but each species has its own duration of flowering. The fruit of the cow parsnip is a two-seeded visloplodnik. Hogweed seeds ripen in July-September.

Types and varieties of hogweed

In culture, you can find not so many types of cow parsnip.

- a biennial North African and Eurasian plant of large size with a hollow furrowed stem covered with stiff hairs. The seeds of the plant are valuable, containing aromatic oil, which includes octyl ester of acetic acid.

or pickan, or beam - a species that grows throughout Europe, as well as in Ciscaucasia and Western Siberia. This is a biennial or perennial plant with a powerful vertical rhizome, a single hollow, ribbed and branched stem up to 180 cm high in the upper part and large, rough lobed or pinnately dissected (sometimes twice or thrice) round-ovate leaves. The lower leaves are petiolate, the upper ones are not as large as the lower ones. The inflorescences are large complex umbels on 15-30 pubescent rays: the larger central umbels consist of bisexual flowers, and the lateral ones consist of male, often barren. Flowers yellowish-green. Flowering occurs in summer, and fruiting occurs from July to September. The fruits are bare vines. The whole plant exudes a pleasant aroma. Siberian hogweed is a medicinal and food plant: in Siberia, caviar is made from it, reminiscent of eggplant in taste, soup with Siberian hogweed has a mushroom aroma.

Hairy hogweed (Heracleum villosum)

or bear Paw suitable for use as a spice. This is a biennial herbaceous plant, developing a basal rosette in the first year, and stems, flowers and fruits in the second. Its rhizome is thick, white, spindle-shaped, the stem is upright, round, furrowed, up to 1.5 m high with a diameter of 3-5 cm. In this case, the basal leaves are much larger than the stem ones. Small white bisexual flowers are collected in umbrellas with a diameter of 15-20 cm. The fruit is a bare oblong achene.

- decorative and deciduous perennial species. Its ribbed, glandular-pubescent stems branching in the upper part reach a height of 3 to 5 m and form a loose sprawling bush. The lower trifoliate or pinnately dissected leaves are located on long petioles. Upper - stem, sessile, with large and swollen sheaths. The leaves, like the stems, are covered with reddish spots. Numerous white flowers of Mantegazzi hogweed, collected in large complex umbellate inflorescences up to 1 m in diameter, have a specific smell. Flowering of this species occurs in June-July.

or hogweed poisonous - a large herbaceous plant, which in the middle of the 20th century was cultivated as a silage crop, not suspecting that it would run wild and begin to spread into the natural ecosystems of Northern and Eastern Europe. Today it can be found on the banks of water bodies, wastelands, forest edges and clearings, mountain slopes, in river valleys, along roads and on uncultivated fields in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Scandinavian countries, Belarus, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. The composition of the leaves and fruits of plants of this species includes a large amount of essential oils containing furanocoumarins, which, when in contact with the skin, increase its sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, and this leads to severe burns. Therefore, any plant that looks like a cow parsnip is better to bypass.

Grass hogweed Sosnowski is a very large biennial or perennial plant that blooms and bears fruit only once, and then dies off. It reaches a height of 1 to 4 m. It has a tap root system, reaching a depth of 2 m, but the bulk of the roots is located no deeper than 30 cm. The stem of the plant is rough, furrowed-ribbed, purple or green with purple spots, partially fleecy, with large trifoliate or pinnately dissected yellowish-green leaves from 1.4 to 2 m long. Complex umbrellas of inflorescences up to 80 cm in diameter consist of 30-75 rays with numerous pink or white flowers, which can be up to 80 on one plant 000. Flowering continues from July to August, and broadly elliptical or obovate fruits 10-12 cm long ripen from July to September.

Burns from cow parsnip

Treatment of burns from cow parsnip

You can get burns from the juice and pollen of Sosnowsky hogweed not only through direct contact of the plant with your skin, but also through clothing. If the juice splashed on you abundantly, fluid-filled blisters form on the skin, which fall off for a very long time and leave behind ulcers, scars and dark spots. Children are more likely to suffer from hogweed burns: they play with the hollow stems of the plant, making spitting tubes out of them and, as a result, getting burns of the lips and oral mucosa. If the burn has received 80% of the body surface, death is possible.

How to treat burns from cow parsnip? After contact with the plant, you need to wash the places where you touched the hogweed with running water and laundry soap, rinse (just rinse, not wipe) them with alcohol, vodka or cologne and close them from sunlight for several days. This is very important: the sun's rays should not fall on the place of skin contact with cow parsnip for at least two days. To relieve itching, apply lotions from oak bark to the affected areas (1 tablespoon of the bark is boiled for 10 minutes in 2 glasses of water) or strong tea. If burns still appear, treat them with synthomycin liniment or sodium usninate on fir balsam. But in case:

more than 10% of the body surface is covered with burns;
large confluent blisters appeared;
damaged eyes or mucous membranes of the mouth or nose;
allergic reactions appeared - swelling of the nasopharynx, a rash on the skin or bronchospasm;
body temperature rises and vomiting begins

you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Sosnovsky's hogweed is most dangerous during the flowering period and on sunny days.. If contact with the plant occurs on a cloudy day, and then you are not exposed to sunlight for two days, you will not burn.

Fighting hogweed on the site

How to get rid of hogweed

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from hogweed burns is to remove this plant from your yard. It is necessary to start the fight against the plant with chemical agents (herbicides) at the time of the emergence of its seedlings and carry out frequent and intensive treatments until the very beginning of the flowering of hogweed. The concentration of the solution should be 2-3 times stronger than suggested in the instructions. Three sprays will be enough with a break of 2-3 weeks. Chemical treatment is carried out on a cloudy day, taking all precautions: wearing tight clothes with long sleeves, trousers and gloves. After the work is done, the clothes must be washed.

However, if flowering has already begun, then chemical treatment will not give results, and you will have to cut and burn the inflorescences so that the plant does not reproduce by self-sowing: the seeds of the hogweed are formed in large numbers, and many of them, having fallen to the ground, will germinate in the spring.

An effective way to fight if the cow parsnip has grown strongly on the site is to burn it. This method requires great care: plants are doused with a flammable liquid in such a way that all inflorescences with fruits get wet. And keep in mind that when burned, the fruits will release flammable essential oils.

They are fighting with hogweed and agrotechnical methods: they cut the roots of the plant at a depth of 5-10 cm with a flat cutter, cutting off the growth point. But if a large area is occupied by hogweed, you will have to resort to plowing, which is carried out several times during the growing season, and depending on the weediness of the field, you will have to do this for 2-7 years. In autumn, plowing on a site with cow parsnip cannot be carried out, since it will contribute to the accumulation of its seeds in the soil.

Small shoots of hogweed are destroyed during weeding, but they can appear not only in spring, but throughout the summer, so regularly inspect the site and destroy young plants.

What not to do when destroying hogweed

Firstly, you can not mow the cow parsnip at the time of fruit set, if you are not going to burn it immediately. Cut, torn or mowed plants should not be left in place, since the stem has a large supply of nutrients that will allow the set seeds to ripen, because seeds that have reached milky maturity can give life to a new plant.

Secondly, it is impossible to mow hogweed or cut off its inflorescences during the period of ripening and shedding of seeds, as this will lead to the spread of hogweed to new territories.

Third, you can not work with cow parsnip without protecting the body with waterproof clothing. Don't forget to wear a face mask as well.

Hogweed contains alkaloids, resins, flavonoids, carotene, glutamine, furocoumarin, trace elements copper, manganese and iron, tannins, arginine, sugars, essential oils, ascorbic acid, fiber and vitamins. The juice of the plant is used to treat asthma, psoriasis, festering wounds and ulcers. According to scientists, hogweed promotes the production of male hormones. It has a detrimental effect on fungal activity, has an antispasmodic and sedative effect in hysteria, neurotic disorders, nervous tics, epileptic seizures and skin diseases. The roots and fruits of the plant have a choleretic and hemostatic effect.

Hogweed tincture is effective for diarrhea, gastroenteritis, flatulence. A decoction of the herb is used to treat scabies, tumors, and lymphadenitis. Water infusions are used as a sedative, as well as to correct the metabolism and functions of the gastrointestinal tract.

However, knowing that hogweed is a poisonous plant, you should consult a doctor before starting to take its preparations.

After this article, they usually read

Beauty and Health Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants and Herbs

Hogweed is a well-known plant in Russia, and our ancestors knew about its beneficial properties much better than we, who live in cities and far from nature.

This perennial herbaceous plant belongs to the umbrella family; it is very large, just huge - it can be up to 3 m tall, with stiff hairs, large leaves and a very powerful stem - botanists called it Heracleum for this - the herb of Hercules, and the people called it "bear's paw". Hogweed blooms from July to September - its flowers, greenish-white or pink, are collected in large umbrellas.

There is a lot of hogweed in our country - it grows in many areas of the middle zone, in Udmurtia, in the Urals, in the Caucasus, in Altai, in Siberia, etc. There are also many species of hogweed in nature - about 70, and most of them are found in Russia.

Composition of hogweed

The chemical composition of hogweed is rich and varied.: it contains quite a lot of sugar - up to 10%, there is vegetable protein, tannins; the amino acid glutamine is an immune stimulant; essential oil; arginine is an amino acid that forms proteins; coumarins are substances of the ether group that have anticonvulsant, antispasmodic and sedative effects. There is a lot of vitamin C in hogweed, there is carotene, iron, nickel, copper, manganese, titanium, boron.

The essential oil of hogweed has a complex composition: it contains ethyl esters of butyric and acetic acids; aldehydes - substances with a pleasant odor used in the perfume industry; octyl ester of acetic acid - in oil up to 80%. This ether is active against Trichomonas - the causative agents of infections of the intestines, genital organs and mucous membranes of the mouth, and is used in medicine to treat many diseases.

Hogweed properties

Hogweed has medicinal and nutritional properties, but there are species that have a toxic effect on the body. Some of them can also be eaten - for example, Sosnowsky's cow parsnip, bred artificially, but it must first be processed in a special way.

Even medieval physicians knew about the healing effect of hogweed, and they treated them with difficulty breathing and asthma; Avicenna used it to treat epilepsy, as well as jaundice and other liver diseases. Modern herbalists also widely use cow parsnip in the treatment of many diseases.

Siberian hogweed

Siberian hogweed is very widespread.- It is used in folk medicine and used in cooking. There are a lot of amino acids in the proteins of this plant - about 17, including tryptophan and lysine, so the Siberian hogweed decoction tastes like chicken broth.

A decoction and water infusion of the roots have various therapeutic effects: soothing, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, analgesic, anti-inflammatory; improve digestion, relieve convulsions and treat skin diseases. Alcohol tincture of the roots is used externally for toothache; for pain in the joints and rheumatism, steamed hogweed leaves are applied to sore spots; with scabies, lotions are made from a decoction of the whole plant.

Disorders of the stomach and intestines are treated with an aqueous infusion of Siberian hogweed seeds. 1 tsp seeds are brewed with boiling water (250 ml) and infused for 2 hours, then filtered and drunk during the day in small sips. The next day, prepare a fresh infusion.

With furunculosis, an infusion of seeds is prepared and taken in a slightly different way: 1 tsp. seeds are poured with boiling water (200 ml), boiled for about 8 minutes on low heat, insisted for an hour, filtered and drunk 4 times a day - 50 ml before meals.

Jaundice is also treated with hogweed seeds: they are ground into powder and mixed with honey in equal parts. Take with water, 1 tsp. 3-4 times a day before meals.

You can pour dry hogweed herb with cold water, leave for 2 hours and drink 4 times a day, ½ cup. Hogweed herb - 3 tsp, water - 500 ml. The same infusion is taken for convulsions, and externally they treat skin diseases and tumors.

The rhizomes, leaves and young stems of hogweed are eaten.. The stems are put raw in salads - they taste like cucumbers; and also fried in oil with onions, boiled, salted and marinated. Leaves and stems are put in soups, mashed potatoes, borscht; young leaves are similar to carrots in taste, so they make an excellent filling for pies. Rhizomes are also salted and pickled, and also dried for the winter - they taste sweet.

Common hogweed

Common hogweed is also eaten and used for medicinal purposes.- Leaves and roots. It has many names among the people, and for some reason they are all different: barsch, wrestler, bodran, borscht, angelica, cow, goat, etc.

A decoction of the roots is used for epilepsy, neurosis, colitis, colic in the stomach and intestines. 1 tbsp crushed roots are poured with water (250 ml), and boiled until 1/3 of the water boils away, then cool and filter. Take 1 tbsp. 4 times a day.

For diarrhea, take an infusion of leaves: pour 1 tbsp. a glass of boiling water, insist 2 hours, filter, and drink 1 tbsp. every 2 hours.

Hogweed leaves are put in salads.

Almost all types of cow parsnip have medicinal and nutritional properties..

Hogweed dissected

The dissected hogweed is called a bundle - it is eaten fresh and in soups; for the treatment of its grass, it is better to harvest it in the spring: its infusion is used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lymphadenitis - inflammation of the lymph nodes, rheumatism; externally for washing wounds. 1 tbsp dry herbs are brewed with boiling water (250 ml), insisted for an hour and drunk 100 ml 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening.

hogweed shaggy

Hairy hogweed seeds (just what they call "bear's paw") have a calming effect. An infusion of its seeds is prepared in the same way as in the case of Siberian hogweed, and they drink 4 times a day for ¼ cup, with hysteria and stomach cramps.

Hogweed sweet

In Kamchatka, on mountain meadows and coasts, sweet grass grows - sweet hogweed. Locals have always used its young petioles and stems, peeling them from the skin - this is considered a delicious delicacy. Sugar was even made from this type of hogweed: from 16 kg of dried stems, 100 g of sugar was obtained - a little, but earlier sugar was not delivered to Kamchatka. Cattle feed on sweet cow parsnip, and gain weight very quickly - this is an excellent fodder plant, but its juice can cause burns when it gets on human skin.

Hogweed pubescent

Hogweed pubescent, if salted, it can replace sauerkraut and pickles - before it was really salted for the future for the winter, like these vegetables. Leaves and boiled shoots are eaten like any garden greens; they can be added to soups with homemade noodles and meat, to milk and potato soups.

The stems and petioles of large leaves, scalded with boiling water and rolled in flour, are fried in oil - it is very tasty. In a similar way, hogweed is eaten in other countries: in Germany, Bulgaria, the USA and Latin America.

A decoction of pubescent hogweed is drunk chilled, instead of kvass.

Original and healthy sweets can be quickly and easily prepared from many types of hogweed.- ordinary, sweet, pubescent, etc. The stems of the plant are cut into pieces of 3-4 cm, peeled and put in a boiling syrup prepared in advance (2/3 cup of sugar per glass of water). The stems are boiled for 10-15 minutes, then they are pulled out, put on a wire rack or colander to let the syrup drain, put on a plate and sprinkled with coconut (you can add powdered sugar to taste). With such sweet tubes, it is good to drink green tea.

If your site does not grow cow parsnip, it is easy to grow. The soil should be loose, fertilized and moist, but not too much. It is better to sow hogweed seeds in the fall, about 3 weeks before frost - this will be less hassle. Hogweeds begin to bloom in the 2nd year after germination. We can say that there is no particular need to grow cow parsnip - we have enough food, but precisely because we have forgotten a lot of what our grandmothers knew so well, today we have become frequent visitors to pharmacies and clinics. It's not that we have nothing to eat - we just need to use every opportunity - including natural nutrition - in order to prolong our youth, preserve beauty and health.

Hogweed nectar is loved by bees, and the seed oil of some species, because of their pleasant smell, is used by perfumers with pleasure.

With hemorrhoids, rectal fissures, gastritis, it is not recommended to use hogweed preparations and eat it. With unstable blood pressure, hogweed should be treated with caution, and better under the supervision of a doctor.