Britain’s ‘most dangerous plant’ that burns your skin and can leave you BLIND has hit a frightening PEAK, experts say

Britain’s “most dangerous plant”, which burns your skin and can leave you blind, is at its peak, experts have warned.

The giant nut can cause severe blisters, painful burns and long-lasting scars if touched.

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The plant’s sap prevents our skin from protecting itself from the sun, causing its victims to get blisters if exposed to daylight.

And because it does not cause immediate pain, those affected can continue to enjoy the good weather, without noticing any problems until the first burns appear.

Now experts have warned that the large, invasive plant has reached its frightening peak.

With the start of the school holidays and Brits spending more time outside, the risk of injury is increasing.

Callum Sinclair, project manager at the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative, said: “We started to see seedlings emerging between March and April.

“And they’re obviously smaller this time of year, so we do most of our control work on them when they’re smaller and less dangerous.

“When we get to this time of year, they are impressively large plants and also impressively dangerous plants, obviously.

“They’re probably near maximum height now and in mid-summer, July and August.”

Right now, even professionals like to keep their distance, he added.

He said: “The reason we deal with them at the start of the season is because they are obviously smaller and less dangerous because we can get in amongst them with protective clothing on.

“But when you get to the height they are now in the summer, and they are big, with big leaves, it is dangerous to get among them.

“So now, in the summer, when obviously schools are out and people are active in the summer, is the time when we would really be warning to basically stay away from them.”

The plant is not only abundant in Scotland, but throughout the United Kingdom.

Chloe Douglas, from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, woke up with rashes on his hands and neck, which turned into blisters “the size of grapes” after finding the plant.

“The recovery was extremely painful,” she said.

Meanwhile, in Hampshire, the factory left a chihuahua-pug cross with “blisters that looked red and painful,” said owner Sue Earley.

And in Somerset, mother Samantha Morgan recently described how her two-year-old son was left screaming in agony as doctors cut open his giant blisters.

Last summer, Ross McPherson was left with a blister the size of an orange and struggling to get dressed after walking through a giant weed in Dunbar, East Lothian.

And in Glasgow, retired lifeboat officer George Parsonage, 80, recently described how he was still plagued by a giant old sow sow wound from the 1960s.

Mike Duddy, of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust, said in 2015 that the giant nut was “without a shadow of doubt the most dangerous plant in Britain”.

The giant nut is native to the Caucasus, but was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in 1817, and its spread is now out of control.

How do I treat burns from Giant Hogweeds?

Mr Sinclair emphasized that the giant nut often caused long-term injuries.

He said: “This plant can cause painful blisters or burns, and these things can also come back year after year.

“So it’s not definitive harm that they can do to you.”

He added: “And if you happen to come into contact with it and get burned, you need to cover the point of contact because the sunlight will make the situation worse.

“And then you will probably need to wash the area of ​​sap with soap and water.”

The NHS website advises that if blisters appear, do not pop them! If the blisters are extensive, seek medical attention.

If sap gets into your eyes, wash them with plenty of water and seek medical attention.

If you start to feel unwell after contact with the giant nut, talk to your doctor.

Be sure to thoroughly and quickly wash the clothes you were wearing when you came into contact with the plant.

Tips for Keeping Pests in Your Garden

• Plant companion plants, such as peppermint, to repel mice.
• Place Garden Netting Pest Barrierover your flower beds.
• Fill open containers with beer and place in the soil to repel slugs.
• Spray plants with Neem Oilto repel ants, flies and spiders.
• Sprinkle your flowerbeds with diatomaceous earth.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap, 10 drops of peppermint oil and 4 cups of water and spray on flower beds.
• Place eggshells around plants to protect them from slugs and snails.