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Scotland is experiencing a surge in the spread of toxic Giant Hogweed Britains most dangerous plant.

Giant Hogweed is reportedly thriving in lockdown as a result of mild weather and restrictions on maintenance due to Covid-19.

The invasive species contains a sap which can cause extreme third degree burns and blindness if it has contact with eyes, and can even prove fatal to dogs and other animals.

In Dumfries, crime author Karl Drinkwater spotted and 12ft high stem of the plant while walking with his girlfriend near the River Nith.

He told the Record: It seems like the best approach is just to educate people, and for parents to educate their kids, so that people recognise it and are careful around it.

Volunteers armed with herbicide, weedkiller, help maintain the plant across the country.

If left unkept, the plant can thrive especially along Scotlands rivers and coastal routes.

Stuart Brabbs, from the charity Ayrshire River Trust, has been involved in the strategy to maintain it on the River Ayr but says a lack of funding and the constraints of Covid-19 and Brexit have made the plant more difficult to keep at bay.

Stuart told the Record: Its a dangerous plant if you come into contact with it or even brush against it.

It reacts with the sunlight and can cause severe burns.

If someone goes to cut it or takes a strimme r to it they could run the risk of getting it in their eyes which in some cases can cause blindness.

The seed bank for this plant is enormous and can contain around 50-60 thousand seeds which remain viable in the ground for years.

If you have a control plan and then stop, within a short space of time it will grow rapidly.

This year we have received no funding.

"There has also been a spread at the Tarbolton Landfill where it is spreading out of control since the landfill went into receivership."

Giant Hogweed was introduced to Scotland by horticulturists in the 19th Century but it soon spread out of control.

It can often be referred to as giant cow parsley due to its similarities with parsley stalk.

Stuart added: We felt we were heading towards eradication in Ayrshire but theres only so much a charity can do.

I have started hearing reports for the first time of sightings along to coastline of Troon.

We would encourage everybody to avoid contact with this plant.

I think it is possible that Covid 19 will also impact environmental strategies and charitable organisations like ourselves as funding has been noticeably diverted away from environmental actions towards community initiatives tackling hardship.

He continued: Nationally this is a huge problem until SEPA and the Scottish Government tackle it.

Invasive species is one of the things that causes downgrades in our rivers.

Its spreads fast and it will only get worse.

Stuart also believes complications with funding due to Brexit will leave the control strategies in jeopardy.

He said: We will not be able to apply for European funding and that will leave us to the Scottish and UK Government, Im very concerned about that.

For charities and environmental strategies who tirelessly to control invasive species theres uncertainty.

You can report a sighting of Giant Hogweed here.

Read the original here:
Toxic plant that can cause blindness and third degree burns thriving in Scotland - Daily Record

This entry was posted on June 22, 2020 at 5:45 am and is filed under Blindness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |