Warnings of Giant Hogweed, lead to Civic advisory on how to handle Invasive plants on property

Experts suggest that reports of Giant Hogweed in Prince Rupert
are a case of mistaken identity, regardless the sap from either
plant does not make for a pleasant experience for its victims

Councillor Barry Cunningham offered up some advice on Monday for those in the community looking to do some extra curricular gardening, warning of reports of the presence in the region of the plant Giant Hogweed.

"I just want to bring something to council's attention and possibly the press and that, there's a lot of hogweed in town right now and some people are getting severe burns from it, because they're not aware of it and the implications it can have ...  it can give you up to a third degree burn. People are cutting it down and picking it up and not knowing about it. So it's something that I would like us have Veronika put something out about it"

Mr. Cunningham's outline of the Hogweed concerns can be explored from the City's Video archive starting at the thirty three minute mark.




As a follow up to the Councillor's comments, the City's Communication Office did issue an advisory for the public on the issue on Wednesday, using the city's website and social media platforms to share the information.

The advisory noted that while Cow Parsnip is common in the region, Giant Hogweed has never been positively identified in the community.

The City's notes advise that if you believe that you have identified Giant Hogweed you are asked to report it to the Northwest Invasive Plant council at 1-888-933-3722 or through the weed reporting process available here.

On Tuesday, radio station CFNR spoke with  NW Invasive Plant Council Program Manager Penni Adams, who observed that the reports of Giant Hogweed in Prince Rupert  are most likely a case of mistaken identification.

The City's background item which outlines the best practices for removing Cow Parsnip from your property can be reviewed here.

For more items of note related to Monday's City Council Session see our Council Timeline Feature here,  further background on the Monday session is also available from our Archive here.

A wider overview of Council discussions can be explored through our Council Discussions archive.