Hogweed or giant hogweed and dangerous? ASAP plz

[Cutyourshakehole]

As above does anyone know if this is giant hogweed?? BBy has just grabbed it from pram

Another

I'm no expert but doesn't look giant to me, giant I have seen has huge tree trunk..

Difficult to tell from pic, do you have any more (pref with leaves clearly in focus and/or something in for scale)? How tall was the plant? How big were the biggest flower heads?

I dont know either but looks like it. Make sure you cover the part baby has touched from the sun and wash it off as soon as possible.

I'm not an expert either, but we were looking (from a distance) at some at the weekend - they were taller than me. Apparently it can get up to 4m tall!

I think the burns come up quickly though. Looks like the other thing that is safe, whose name I can't remember,

I’m sure that's not hogweed. The burns come up fairly soon though

Could be common hog weed or cow parsnip,neither will cause burns.

It’s okay, it’s just cow parsley.

just seen second pic - from the apparent scale it doesn't look like giant hogweed - umbels (flower heads) usually huge - up to 80cm across - probably just normal hogweed. Not dangerous like giant hogweed although a few people can be sensitive to the sap.

See photo from wild flower guide book

It's not cow parsley, which has feathery like leaves.
It looks like common hogweed - giant hogweed is truly ridiculous in size, with much larger jagged leaves.

That is hogweed. Don't panic, wash his hand and keep it out of sunlight until you do.

Hogweed plus sunlight can indeed cause chemical burns. The burns do not necessarily come up quickly at all. However, it is unusual to be burnt, doesn't happen every time you touch it.

Sorry bit out of focus was rushing. Giant hogweed is way taller than an average person.

It doesn't look like giant hogweed, GH really is a giant with massive leaves and gets to about 12 feet tall before it flowers. It's difficult to tell whether it's common hogweed, but it looks to me like it could be cow parsley. Is baby in any distress, with red welts where s/he's come into contact with the plant? If so, see a doctor urgently. I'm pretty certain cow parsley doesn't cause problems, not so sure about common hogweed.

I'm no expert either.

IT IS COMMON HOGWEED Heraclem sphondylium if you want it's latin name. I'm an ecologist, trust me.

Heracleum sphondylium - shouting too much to spell.

Sorry, I didn’t look closely enough at the leaves

You can't mistake giant hogweed - the clue is in the name

It is enormous and it grows up to 4 metres tall.

Thank does look like which can cause burns, I’ve had them, hope your lo is okay

Thank you I am in the absolute middle of nowhere we have been walking for hours. Stopped to take a picture and he grabbed a bunch and all the white bits fell all over his clothes and hands. Very sunny here. So it won’t burn? Or only maybe in the sun? I used baby wipes on him straight after and have just remembered I had a bottle of water in bag so only just washed it but no sign of anything on him

It’s not giant hogweed, which is the one in the media with the horrendous burns etc... but looking at the leaves it could be the smaller version, it’s hard to tell from the photos though.

If it is common hogweed, don’t panic! It’s actually used as an edible forgaged food and isn’t normally considered much of a risk to anyone.

It seems that some people do have a sensitivity to it, or develop a sensitivity after repeated exposure to it, and it might cause a mild rash or a mild uv sensitivity, although not an the same scale as it’s bigger cousin! It seems up for debate about why it happens, apparently even parsnips need pulling out of the ground with gloves on a sunny day, as that whole plant family has this ability to cause UV sensitivity, so, there you go!

But, best not to take any risks, so wash the area thoroughly and keep your baby out of the sun for a couple of days.

But really, it’s not the same as the giant hogweed and no need to panic. Keep an eye out of course, but don’t be too scared...

Agree that looks more like hogweed but a question to the experts - giant hogweed is unmistakable from its size when it's fully grown but is it still harmful when it's growing?

Not giant hogweed. Check it isn't hemlock either. Hemlock has purple spots on stem and a hairless stem.

Did he grab the leaves or the flowers? It's the leaves/stems which can give a burn, not the flowers. If the leaves it would be better if you can keep his hands out of the sun until you've washed them thoroughly just to be on the safe side (if it was you, I'd just say rinse it off thoroughly, job done).

That’s my worry is it a giant one growing