Sosnowsky's hogweed – Heracleum sosnowskyi

Observations of Sosnowsky’s hogweed have also been reported on the Finnish side. However, the findings have not been verified, and the distribution of Sosnowsky’s hogweed in Finland is poorly known.

Sosnowsky’s hogweed originated in the Caucasus, from which it was taken to the Botanical Gardens in the Kola Peninsula in the 1930s. Probably in the 1950s, it was introduced to the St Petersburg area as a fast-growing fodder crop for livestock. In a few decades, it spread to the surroundings of St Petersburg and Karelia, including Sortavala.

Currently, there are abundant occurrences on the Karelian Isthmus along the main road and just off the border with Finland. In 1957, the plant was first found in Estonia, where it arrived in fodder imported from Russia and is now common in farmyards. One sighting of Sosnowsky’s hogweed has also been made in Georgia.