I am fond of hogweed, probably because so many people don't like them ~ mostly I think because they have become associated with the non-native giant hogweed whose phototoxic sap can cause blistering skin through an adverse reaction to sunlight ~ but also because, in comparison to other wayside plants, it has such an unglamorous name! That name comes from the scent of its flowers, which is said to be reminiscent of pigs ~ it truly is! I had a proper sniff when writing this piece & found it to be most piggily enchanting, although I am not tempted to repeat the experience any time soon.
Common hogweed was once employed medicinally and, in contrast to its giant cousin, is edible although, being part of the umbellifer family which includes poisonous species such as hemlock and water dropwort, correct identification is absolutely essential.
In the 18th Century the people of the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula distilled a honeysuckle-flavoured spirit from common hogweed, the sour soup borscht derives from an ancient soup cooked with it.
Long ago, her seeds were boiled in oil and considered efficacious against running sores and the rash associated with shingles. In Eastern European countries, particularly Romania, she is still used as an aphrodisiac & to treat gynaecological & fertility problems and impotence, as well as a cure for epilepsy.
It is sad then indeed that we seem to find her so uninspiring & unworthy of praise or greeting.
Common hogweed's young leaves, flower buds, & seeds ~ which are said to taste of a combination of orange peel, cardamon, coriander, ginger, liquorice & burned cedar ~ are edible, & many foragers consider it the most delicious of all wild plants, and she is rich in Vitamin C. I haven't yet tried it myself; I find her young shoots so lucently beautiful that I can't bear to pick them, & I value that, with the challenges of correct identification & the ramifications of getting it wrong, hogweed & her plant family remind me to be respectful of all wild plants.
I love too these beautiful newly unfurled common hogweed leaves in the hedgehermitage garden; the little hairs on them catch the light and look like hoarfrost or sunshine on fresh snow. Hogweed is such a maligned plant but is genuinely stunning.
Common hogweed, who is one of our top 10 nectar producers, is primarily pollinated by flies, hence her evolutionary decision to cultivate her pig-scented flowers, but many other insects will also visit her. I love this description of a honeybee on hogweed from the 'Adventures in Beeland' blog; "They appear to get very little pollen from these flowers, but instead swish their proboscis enthusiastically about in the nectar like a watercolour artist swirling their brush."
Paul Evans, in his country diary for The Guardian newspaper published in June 2019, describes common hogweed as, "loaded with the poetry of the commonplace, a functional earthiness". She may not be delicate but she has her place &, as the lacy flowers of cow parsley fade, her confident blooms are most welcome.
Although, she is also delicate!
Common hogweed is such a strong plant, both in her demeanor and in her determination to shrug off the adverse publicity often directed against her. It seems appropriate then that her genus name is 'Heracleum', from the mythological Greek hero, Hercules, who is said to have used the plant medicinally (because even rufty tufty heroes need healing sometimes), & her species name, 'spondylium', meaning 'vertebrate', referring to her segmented stem but also reminding us that she has a 'strong backbone'. I'm sure that many of us would be glad to emulate the characteristics of this resilient, determined, & unbowed plant.
References:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracleum_(plant)
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/hogweed
https://www.wildfooduk.com/edible-wild-plants/hogweed-2/
https://gallowaywildfoods.com/hogweed/
https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/hogweed-heracleum-sphondylium
https://adventuresinbeeland.com/2013/07/06/whats-flowering-now-early-july/
Once again, you’ve fascinated me with something I knew nothing about. Beautiful hogweed!
Very beautiful plant and description! Again-thanks for taking me along with you.