Giant Hogweed Identification

Here are some examples of how the plant looks during its growing cycle, as well as close-up shots of flowers, leaves and stems, to further assist you in the identification process.  

What do Giant Hogweed flowers look like?

Giant Hogweed flowers are Inflorescences (circular clusters of small, white flowers) that can measure up to 50 centimetres in diameter.

Identifying Giant Hogweed leaves

Leaves are large with serrated or jagged edges that can grow to up to 1.5 metres wide, and 3 metres long. Leaves have hairs or bristles on the underside, and are similar in appearance to the leaves of rhubarb.

The hollow stems of Giant Hogweed 

The green stems are hollow, thick and marked with purple specks and bristles or hairs.  They can grow up to 10 centimetres in diameter.

Giant Hogweed management & removal

You can see just how immense an infestation of Giant Hogweed can become in just one growing season.  Our Invasive weed expert completely protected from the dangerous sap as he works to remove the infestation.

Giant Hogweed in seed

The seed heads can produce in excess of 10,000 seeds per plant, so it's not surprising it is termed as an invasive species.

Late summer seed heads of Giant Hogweed

As the plant dies back, seeds will drop to the ground or be dispersed by the wind. These seeds can lie dormant for up to 10 years.