With the heavy rainfall in recent weeks, the growth of weeds and plants have increased.
Along with plants having healthy growth spurts, so are harmful plants.
Hogweed, a harmful plant, has been benefitting from the rain and can grow as tall as 14 feet.
The plant has white flowers on it and is harmful due to the sap it produces that causes photosensitivity. The sap on the skin can result in severe sunburn.
A person can get the sap on their skin by just brushing against the plant, and the area that touches the sap needs to be washed with soap and water and kept out of the sunlight for 48 hours.
Pokeweed looks similar to Hogweed, but is not harmful to humans.
If someone notices Hogweed on their property, it’s important to contact the DEC for removal.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]