Plant That Causes 3rd Degree Burns, Blindness Found In Virginia

CLARKE COUNTY, VA — An invasive plant with sap that can cause third-degree burns and blindness — it's said to make poison ivy feel pleasant — has been confirmed in Virginia for the first time by experts, setting off alarm bells for residents statewide. The giant hogweed plant was found in Clarke County in Northern Virginia, and warnings posted by the Extension Service, Virginia Tech experts and others spread across the internet like a noxious weed.

Scientists say there are plants across Virginia that closely resemble the giant hogweed — such as cow parsnip, which is native to the Commonwealth — so the chances are slim that the weed on your property is the troublesome giant hogweed. About 30 plants were found in Clarke County between Winchester and Leesburg, according to staffers at the Massey Herbarium at Virginia Tech. A previous property owner planted it as an ornamental species, experts said.

"In brief, the sap prevents your skin from protecting itself from sunlight, which leads to a very bad sunburn," said the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. "Heat and moisture (sweat or dew) can worsen the skin reaction. The phototoxic reaction can begin as soon as 15 minutes after contact, with sensitivity peak between 30 minutes and two hours after contact."

Classified as a tier one noxious plant, giant hogweed must be removed by someone wearing protective gear, and requires a permit to be moved across the state.

Mark Sutphin, an agricultural extension agent with Virginia Tech, said he handed part of the Clark County giant hogweed donned in a Tyvek suit and goggles. “Don’t touch it,” he told The Washington Post. “Don’t cut it down unless you take extreme care.”

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

In early June, Virginia Department of Transportation workers found giant hogweed growing in Frederick County.

The alarm was first sounded by an Isle of Wight County Facebook post that warned residents: "Giant hogweed makes poison ivy look like a walk in the park. Contact with this plant, combine with exposure to the sun, can produce third-degree burns and permanent blindness."

Reactions for anyone who handles the plant unprotected can vary, but sap from giant hogweed can make the skin so sensitive to sunlight that severe burns can occur from normal exposure to sun. Symptoms include painful blisters, which become darkly pigmented and can cause scars. Your skin can remain sensitive to sunlight for many years after exposure, as well. And, if the sap gets in your eyes, there is the potential for blindness, says Wight County.

Virginia Tech experts suggest that landowners who spot a plant they suspect is giant hogweed first check the ID guide (https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/72766.html) and take a good photos to document the plant. Then check with your local Virginia Tech agricultural extension agent or the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs for help identifying the plant.

PHOTOS: Top photo of Corey Childs, an extension agent in the northern Shenandoah Valley housed in Warren County, who visited the Clarke County site to collect giant hogweed samples for the Massey Herbarium at Virginia Tech. All photos used with the permission of Virginia Tech.