“Please just whisper…the GIANT HOGWEED might hear us and then try
to get us….deadly plant. I wonder if John Wyndham used giant hogweed
when he wrote Day of the Triffids? Hush!”
Quite pretty when in full floor stage.
Charlotte McLeod wrote a book with Giant hogweed in mind. The book
jacket cover says it all.
RETURN OF THE GIANT HOGWEED
“Marjorie, The GIANT HOGWEED is back..now ten feet tall.”
“Where?”
“Same place where we thought it had been killed.”
“How come, Andrew put on overalls and mask and spent a day
cutting and bagging the cursed plant…then he poured poison down
the throat of the roots…the giant hoqwwed seemed gone for the
last couple of years.”
“Well the cursed plant fooled us. Hid for a couple of years. Now it
is back worse than ever.”
“Some say the hogweed plant can hide for 15 years then pop up.”
Giant hogweed can blend in to its surroundings until it reaches full flowering stage.
Hogweed plants are now higher than our ATV. Seems we just noticed the plants. But “Vroooom!” ….plants are ten feet high.
the hogweed patch is on the far left…hardly noticeable right now..July 14, 2022. Those gloves are not
enough protection. Need full body armour!
The return of Gint Hogweed was a mystery until I found a short note saying the seeds of giant hogweed can remain dormant for years and
then suddenly germinate. The giant hogweed patch in the farm fencerow cannot be ignored for as much as 15 years. Yesterday these picture were taken and
the plants are higher than ten feet already. That growth happened fast. So fast that we did not notice until now. Now 10 feet high…may grow to
15 feet and even higher. Getting rid of the plants
is not easy….need to cover all flesh so that no sap gets access to flesh. Particular danger to the eyes. Do not try to be heroic when destroying
the plant. Hogweed will get you before you will get hogweed.
WHERE DID GIANT HOGWEED ORIGINATE?
Giant Hogweed was a natural plant in the Caucasus Mountain region of Asia. Victorian gardeners and scientists brought the seeds to Kew
gardens in the early 19th century. From there seed companies began selling the seeds as curiosities. It took some time before the
danger was noticed. Now considered one of the most dangerous plants on earth.
Biology
Seeds may take several years to germinate and are viable in the soil for up to 15 years. During the first year, the plant produces a rosette of leaves up to one metre high. After 2 to 5 years the plant produces flowers. As it grows a large root, thick hollow stems and large lobed leaves are formed. The stems of the plant are covered with reddish-purple flecks and stiff hairs filled with sap. Sap may also collect in the hollow stem bases. Giant hogweed flowers once in its lifetime, unless the flower clusters are damaged before opening. Once the plant produces seeds it dies. Each plant can produce up to 120,000 winged seeds (typically 50,000). Seeds dropped in streams can float for three days. They can move long distances via water in ditches and streams. Seeds can also be spread up to 10 metres by the wind.
Giant hogweed stem. Note coarse hairs.
Photo courtesy of Ron Black, NDMNRF
Natural resource impacts
There is evidence that Giant hogweed can shade out native plants, although scientists have not done extensive research on its impact in Ontario or Canada. In the United Kingdom it grows in areas bordering lakes, streams, and wetlands and causes rocks, soil and other material on stream banks to fall into streams. This threatens salmon spawning sites. Similar impacts may occur in Ontario.
Health concerns
The clear watery sap of Giant hogweed contains toxins that can cause severe dermatitis (inflammation of the skin). You can get severe burns if you get the sap on your skin and the skin is then exposed to sunlight. Symptoms occur within 48 hours and consist of painful blisters. Purplish scars may form that last for many years. Eye contact with the sap has been reported (in the media and by various web sites) to cause temporary or permanent blindness. However, evidence of permanent blindness linked to exposure to Giant hogweed cannot be substantiated by any existing research. Coming in contact with Cow parsnip and Wild parsnip can cause similar reactions.
EPISODE 610 JAZZ IN THE SUMMERTIME AT BENARES, FRIDAY JULY 8, 2022
alan skeoch
July 8, 2022
WHAT A privilege to sit in the front row of a jazz concert like no other. Feels like we are
selected to a private concert. But it is not private . Every Friday night
for the rest of the summer there will be music for anyone who can bring a portable chair
and find a spot on the front lawn of Benares. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. and end around 9 p.m.
while the sun is still shining. Get there early if you can. Cost? If you are a little short on cash, the night will be
free. But it would be better to fork out $10 per person to help keep these concerts
rolling. A t half time volunteer Friends of the Museum with baskets will give you the chance to support
professional musicians.
A DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE EVERY FRIDAY
NEXT WEEK, July 15… LAURA FERNANDEZ…pianist, singer, songwriter.
sponsored by Friends of the Mississauga Museum
“Marjorie. the Octokats are almost ready.”
“You could help drag our lawn chairs across the grass.”
“I am carrying your purse, “
“How did I ever marry such a person as you”
“Just good luck.”
“Where will we put the lawn chairs?
“Right up front.”
“Unfold a chair.”
“Is unfolding difficult?”
“Not for me, maybe for you”
“Best you do the unfolding then.”
“Too busy taking pictures.”
“Love conquers all, I read somewhere.”
Then it all began … with the winning smile of the band leader
This is Roxy, the best behaved person (dog) at the jazz concert.
Certainly the biggest.
HOW TO GET TO BENARES…
Benares Historic House
1507 Clarkson Road North, Mississauga, ON, L5J 2W8
Tel: 905-615-4860 x 2110
History
Benares Historic House was built in 1857, although parts of the home and several outbuildings date back to 1837. The house was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1977.
Benares was home to four generations of the Harris and Sayers families. Today, more than 95% of the artifacts on display are original to the Harris family and the home. These include furniture, dishes, letters and pictures.
The house and most of its contents were donated by the great-grandchildren of Captain Harris (Geoffrey Harris Sayers, Dora Sayers Caro and Barbara Sayers Larson). It was restored to reflect daily life in the World War One era and opened to the public as a museum in 1995.
Why Benares
Varanasi, also known as Benares or Banaras, is a city in northern India on the banks of the Ganges River. It’s the holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism and Jainism and also played an important role in the development of Buddhism.
The original owner and builder of Benares Historic House in 1835 was Edgar Neave. He named the property “Benares”. At the time, naming a property after a travel destination was common practice.
