State Senator Cathy Young is alerting people to be on the lookout for an invasive plant species that has been spreading throughout New York State. Young says the species, known as giant hogweed, has turned up in Western New York this summer, and has been causing significant damage in yards and parks, eroding soil and crowding out native plants. Giant hogweed can grow as high as 8 to 14 feet, and features large groups of small white flowers, a green stem with purple blotches, and coarse white hairs. Contact with the plant's poisonous sap can cause everything from mild skin irritation to severe burns and scarring, and contact with the eyes can cause blindness. For more information on giant hogweed and how to identify it, click here.
