Latin Name: Heracleum mantegazzianum

Flower: Large, white, umbrella-like flower clusters (umbels) that bloom from midsummer to fall.

Leaves: Huge, deeply lobed, and serrated leaves that can grow up to more than 1 meter wide.

Stems: Thick, hollow, ridged, and covered in coarse hairs with purple blotches, growing up to 5 meters tall.

Growing Environment: It is adapted to rich, damp soil and tolerates a wide range of light regimes. It grows on wet to moist disturbed sites at low elevations. It is often found along streams, wetlands, ditches, roads, rights-of-way and in agricultural areas, wooded ravines, vacant lots, and other disturbed sites.

Growth Habit: A biennial or perennial herb that grows rapidly to form towering plants with enormous leaves and flower clusters. It spreads through both seeds and underground rhizomes. In situ, giant hogweed appears as a massive, imposing plant that can dominate moist, disturbed habitats.