Giant hogweed – Heracleum mantegazzianum

In Finland, giant hogweed was initially introduced as a garden plant due to the large size and spectacular inflorescence. It is very resistant to northern conditions and has spread throughout the country, except for northernmost Lapland.

Some of the existing populations are remnants from cultivation. They have spread from gardens to nearby forests, roadsides, wastelands and uninhabited plots along with garden waste and transferred land masses. They are also found in nature reserves and in the vicinity of endangered species.

Alien plants in the Heracleum group are native to the Caucasus and Southwest Asia. The name of each species hints at their origin: giant hogweed originates from Western Caucasus, Persian hogweed from the territory of Iran, Iraq and Turkey, and Sosnowsky’s hogweed from the Caucasus. It was introduced to England as an ornamental plant in 1817, and only about ten years later it was first reported as a fugitive from gardens.