UK Gardeners And Parents Warned After Toddler Left With Huge Blister From Weed

Giant hogweed flower heads by the seashoreA parent has issued a warning after her son was left with a huge blister following a suspected brush with the UK’s “most dangerous plant”.Hether Irving said her three-year-old son Brooklyn Bone was likely exposed to giant hogweed when he was picking some flowers on the way to childcare.The following day, Irving noticed a small blister had appeared on his finger, near his nail – by the evening, it had “quadrupled” in size and “filled with pus”.The mum told The Mirror: “He was crying, holding his finger in the air, he couldn’t have anything touch it, and he kept shaking. It blistered right the way down, half way to his knuckle, and by Saturday morning it was a huge pus-filled blister that had quadrupled in size.”After a trip to A&E, doctors confirmed it was likely as a result of coming into contact with giant hogweed.Irving said they lanced the blister and drained the fluid away, before sending the young child to the burns unit where he was treated for second-degree burns.“They have said it’ll take up to four weeks to fully heal, and we have been back to hospital twice to change dressings. Each time it was very painful but the nurses were excellent,” she added.How to spot giant hogweedGiant hogweed, a non-native species to the UK, is usually spotted beside river banks. It typically blooms in June and July.The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said the massive plant can grow up to 3.5m tall, with a span of up to 2m (one flower head alone can be 60cm across).A close relative to cow parsley, its thick bristly stems are often purple-blotched, while the flowers are white and cluster together in an umbel, facing upwards. Introduced as an ornamental plant in the 19th century, giant hogweed looks very similar to our own native, regular-sized version. While both have toxic sap, burns from the larger variety tend to be much worse.“Chemicals in the sap can cause severe skin irritation and photosensitivity,” according to the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust (SRWF).It can take hours for the boils, rashes and redness to develop, so you might not know you’ve been exposed until it’s too late.On top of that, sun exposure makes the effects even worse. Irving has now been told her son has to be very careful in the sunshine, and will need SPF50 on his finger when he’s outside in the future.The mum urged the British public “not to let their children touch bushes, or things that seem harmless”.What should I do if I come into contact with the plant?The SRWF advises to “wash the affected skin thoroughly and as soon as possible with soapy water” – contact a medical professional if you continue to feel unwell.If you need to get rid of hogweed from your garden, you should wear full protective clothing – or ask a specialist to come and remove it for you.And while it might be tempting to simply mow it down, you’re advised to put away the strimmer – as this can disperse its seeds further.The RHS recommended manually pulling up the plants by their roots (wearing gloves of course), digging them out, or suppressing them with mulch. If all else fails, consider a weedkiller like glyphosate or triclopyr.Giant hogweed is considered controlled waste, so you’ll have to dispose of it at a licensed landfill, too.Related...UK Gardeners Warned Not To Touch 'Toxic' Caterpillar This JuneUK Gardeners Urged To Take An Electric Toothbrush To Their Tomato PlantsUK Gardeners Urged To Avoid This Watering Mistake In A Heatwave

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