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Heracleum
Also called Cow Parsnip, Hogweeds, Hogweed, Cow Parsnips And Hogweeds, Hogweeds And Cow Parsnips, Hogweeds And Cowparsnips
Heracleum is a genus of biennial and perennial herbs in the carrot family, including cow parsnip and giant hogweed, found across the temperate northern hemisphere. Growing requirements vary by species, so check the one you have.
Heracleum is a genus of biennial and perennial herbs in the carrot family Apiaceae. They are found throughout the temperate northern hemisphere and in high mountains as far south as Ethiopia. Common names for the genus or its species include hogweed and cow parsnip.
The genus name Heracleum was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It derives from the Ancient Greek Ἡράκλειος (Hērákleios) "of Heracles", referring to the mythological hero.
Most species of the genus Heracleum are known to cause phytophotodermatitis. In particular, the public health risks of giant hogweed (H. mantegazzianum) are well known.
At least 36 species of the genus Heracleum have been reported to contain furanocoumarin, a chemical compound that sensitizes human skin to sunlight. Of those, at least 25 species contained a psoralen derivative, either bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) or methoxsalen (8-methoxypsoralen). Three of those species (H. mantegazzianum, H. sosnowskyi, and H. sphondylium) were found to contain both psoralen derivatives.
Giant Hogweed · Persian Hogweed · Sosnowsky's Hogweed · Hogweed
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Heracleum (plant) by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
