The Most Dangerous Plants in ireland
Hemlock Water Dropwort Contains Deadly Neurotoxins
Two plants to be aware of this summer are Hemlock Water Dropwort and Giant Hogweed. Both are on the Increase in Ireland & The UK and both are incredibly dangerous.
Giant Hogweed
Mature giant hogweed plant with seed heads.
Giant Hogweed is an invasive plant that was brought to Ireland/UK in the 19th century from Asia by rich people to stick in their fancy gardens because they thought it looked quite nice. It contains a phototoxin that removes the UV protection from human skin and results in massive fluid filled boils, burns and scars. Not so nice.
It has huge ugly jagged leaves and likes to grow along river banks
The stems are thick and green with red patches in places.
Most commonly found alongside rivers, it can also turn up further inland. The seeds spread by floating down river.
If you get the sap in your eyes it can cause blindness and unfortunately the most common victims are children. Kids bash it with sticks of break off the long stems to use as swords. 24-48 hours later, they are in agony.
If you spot it, you have a responsibility to report it
Report Invasive Species
Republic of Ireland: https://records.biodiversityireland.ie/record/invasives#7/53.455/-8.016
Northern Ireland: http://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/ISI
Or: Northern Ireland/UK: APP https://irecord.org.uk/app
Don’t try and destroy it yourself, it needs specialist treatment to remove and breaking it down can just help spread it.
Article in Kentlive of a 6 year old boy who tried using Giant Hogweed as a toy axe.
Hemlock water dropwort
Hemlock Water Dropwort looks a bit like celery.
Hemlock Water Dropwort grows in damp areas like along the edges of rivers and lakes. It’s a native plant, so it is suppose to be here, but it’s one to avoid.
The stems and leaves are bright green and the leaves look quite similar to parsley, an unfortunate possible confusion.
The stems look a bit like celery
The sap in the stems, leaves and roots contains a deadly neurotoxin that can kill a dog or a person within 3 hours and there’s no antidote. It causes violent seizures resulting in cardiac arrest and respiratory failure. Treatment is managing these symptoms until the effects wear off.
Another hazard are the roots, known as dead mans fingers, these wash up on shorelines and beaches after storms wash the plants from riverbanks.
Irish Times article warning about “dead man’s fingers”
Sometimes called poison parsnips because of their similarity to parsnips, these have been linked to the deaths of quite a few pet dogs. If you spot Hemlock Water Dropwort growing in a busy public area, avoid it and report it to your local council or at the links/emails below:
Northern Ireland Environment Agency: emergency-pollution@daera-ni.gov.uk
Republic of Ireland: Contact local council
