Giant hogweed: Environment Agency again asks for help
Neophyte displaces native vegetation and must therefore be combated
Once again this year, the City of Chemnitz Environmental Agency is asking citizens to help combat neophytes ("new plants") such as the giant hogweed. Neophytes are plant species that first arrived in Central Europe after the Middle Ages or were introduced. Some of them reproduce unhindered. As a result, they displace the native natural vegetation and form pure populations. In this country, these include giant hogweed and balsam balsam in particular, which are therefore also referred to as "invasive neophytes".
Citizens are called upon to report findings of giant hogweed with precise details of the location and number of plants to the Lower Nature Conservation Authority on 0371/488-3602 or -3603 or by emailing umweltamt.naturschutz(at)stadt-chemnitz.de. Alternatively, you can call the authority telephone number 115. It is important to provide a contact for any queries. You are welcome to send photographic material to document the find.
In the protected areas where natural plant communities or near-natural vegetation can still be found, all of these invasive neophytes are combated as far as possible on behalf of the Lower Nature Conservation Authority. Giant hogweed has a special position among the invasive plant species, as it not only leads to displacement effects in nature, but also endangers human health through its sap. The sap contains furanocoumarins which, in combination with sunlight, can lead to severe skin burns of the second or even third degree. This can particularly affect children at play. The strong, pungent, spicy odour of the plant sap is unmistakable.
The giant hogweed originally comes from the Caucasus, was introduced to England in 1817 and has since spread throughout most of Europe.
In the local region, it germinates from April to May, then appears as a rosette plant for a few years and only reaches its full size of up to four metres in height when it flowers. Several 10,000 seeds ripen on the large whitish flower umbels and thus colonise new locations through birds, water, wind and soil movement. Its large, sometimes over 1 metre wide, strongly incised leaves are unmistakable, with each partial leaf and each serration of the partial leaves ending in a very typical leaf tip.
Giant hogweed has a superior propagation strategy to native perennials and has no natural enemies to keep it in check. As a result, it quickly forms pure stands, displaces the native vegetation and can colonise new sites in a very short time.
On the basis of EU Regulation No. 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, EU member states have enacted laws to implement measures against invasive species.
The purpose of the regulation is to prevent the negative impact of invasive species on biodiversity in the European Union. For this reason and from a health point of view, it is mandatory to remove the giant hogweed or have it removed. The respective landowner is generally responsible for this. You will receive a request from the Environmental Agency to remove the giant hogweed professionally within a reasonable period of time. The professional removal consists of completely disposing of all plant parts, but above all the flower and seed heads as well as the completely dug out, turnip-like root, via the so-called "neophyte container" at the Weißer Weg recycling centre.