Hogweed

Description

Commonly known as hogweed, common hogweed or cow parsnip, The plant provides a great deal of nectar for pollinators. The plant is common in grassland, herb-rich meadows, in hedges, meadows and woods, road verges and railway embankments, waste and cultivated ground. The young shoots are considered excellent eating by many foragers.

Hogweed flowers in umbels and contact with the plant can cause skin irritation or skin lesions. Unlike the giant hogweed, the common hogweed grows to a smaller height of 1.2 metres tall. The smooth stems stand straight with white flowers sitting atop.