Editor’s Comments: Little Shop of Horrors

July 17, 2018

We’ve all heard stories of non-native or invasive plants and the environmental havoc they can cause. They’re often difficult to get rid of, but we’re encouraged to try anyway; if you feel like clearing out a patch of kudzu, no one is likely to stop you. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, you can even eat it. The roots can be used to make tea and the flowers to make jelly.

Not all plants are so harmless, though. Recent reports from Virginia describe a large plant—taller than a person, with five-foot-wide leaves and huge white flowers—that fights back with a vengeance when homeowners try to remove it. The plant, known as giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), is toxic; touching the sap can cause burns, and getting it in your eyes can temporarily blind you.

Join us in Atlanta August 18–22, 2019  for StormCon, a five-day special event to learn from experts in various water-related arenas.  Share ideas with peers in your field and across industries—exploring new stormwater management practices and technologies.  Click here for details

Some county officials in Virginia are issuing warnings to help people identify the plant—it looks similar to and is easily mistaken for the much more common native cow parsnip, only bigger—and to caution them about its potential effects. The sap can cause blisters, especially if contact is followed by sun exposure. “Your skin can remain sensitive to sunlight for many years after exposure as well,” one county warning notes.

Giant hogweed was imported to the US from Southeast Asia just about a century ago as an ornamental plant. Many other species, though, have been brought in to control erosion. Kudzu is one of these; farmers once actively planted the stuff, and it has spread throughout large parts of the country, driving out native plants as it goes. (Trivia fact: During World War II, American soldiers stationed in the Pacific used kudzu as camouflage for airfields. It has since practically taken over the small island nation of Vanuatu. Locals have given up trying to control it and are now harvesting it to make “Hempcrete,” a bio-composite building and insulation material.) Tamarisk trees were similarly imported to the US for use as windbreaks and to control erosion, and they too have disrupted many native habitats.

Join us in Atlanta August 18–22, 2019  for StormCon, a five-day special event to learn from experts in various water-related arenas.  Share ideas with peers in your field and across industries—exploring new stormwater management practices and technologies.  Click here for details

Introducing a plant to a new environment is almost always easier than eradicating it. A few years ago the Department of Agriculture tried releasing salt cedar beetles to kill tamarisk trees in Colorado and Utah, with some success. We haven’t found an effective way to control kudzu. In the few states where giant hogweed has appeared—New York and Maine, in addition to Virginia—state agencies or university extension programs have been sending out hazmat-suited specialists with goggles to handle individual plants. There might be a simpler solution, though: eating it. Cows and pigs can munch on it without problems, and it has even been planted in some cold European climates as cattle fodder. Just as we’ve used herds of goats to control buckthorn and other invasives without herbicides (see the article in the October 2017 Stormwater), we might soon see herds of cows turned loose to tackle the 10-foot-tall giant hogweed.

Have you had to remove non-native plants during restoration or ­land­scaping projects? What do you think of using biological controls—from ­beetles to goats—to control them? 
About the Author

Janice Kaspersen

Janice Kaspersen is the editor of Erosion Control and Stormwater magazines. She works with experts throughout the erosion and sediment control industry and the stormwater industry to produce articles relevant to professionals working in both of these fields. Topics covered regularly in the magazines include best management practices for erosion control and stormwater management; green infrastructure, such as bioswales, rain gardens, pervious pavement, and rainwater harvesting systems, as a supplement to traditional “gray” infrastructure; stormwater management and erosion and sediment control techniques for construction sites; urban retrofit and redevelopment; and the many evolving Clean Water Act regulations. She has researched and written articles on topics ranging from coastal erosion to stormwater program funding.

Janice also puts together the speaker program portion of Forester Media’s StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition, which is in its fourteenth year. The annual StormCon conference brings together surface water professionals, engineers, municipal program managers, researchers, regulators, and others concerned with water quality. Conference program tracks include Best Management Practices, Green Infrastructure, Stormwater Program Management, Water-Quality Monitoring, Advanced Research, and Industrial Stormwater Management.

Before joining Forester Media, Janice worked as a technical writer and editor for a government research laboratory. She has a degree in English and anthropology from the University of Arizona. She holds a certification from the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences.

Sponsored Recommendations

ArmorBlock 5000: Boost Automation Efficiency

April 25, 2024
Discover the transformative benefits of leveraging a scalable On-Machine I/O to improve flexibility, enhance reliability and streamline operations.

Rising Cyber Threats and the Impact on Risk and Resiliency Operations

April 25, 2024
The world of manufacturing is changing, and Generative AI is one of the many change agents. The 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report takes a deep dive into how Generative ...

State of Smart Manufacturing Report Series

April 25, 2024
The world of manufacturing is changing, and Generative AI is one of the many change agents. The 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report takes a deep dive into how Generative ...

SmartSights WIN-911 Alarm Notification Software Enables Faster Response

March 15, 2024
Alarm notification software enables faster response for customers, keeping production on track