Giant hogweed, the dangerous plant that can cause severe burns and even blindness, has already made its first victim in Virginia, where it was only recently discovered.
Scientifically known as Heracleum mantegazzianum, giant hogweed has sent a 17-year-old to the hospital with third-degree burns to his face and arm, after the young man unwittingly cut down the plant while gardening, reports Newsweek.
Native to central Asia, the white-flowered plant has invaded Northern Virginia and was first spotted there in June, the Inquisitr previously reported. Although pretty to look at, giant hogweed can pose a serious threat, because it emits a toxic sap that reacts with the sun, producing an awful sunburn in the best-case scenario.
Seventeen-year-old Alex Childress had the misfortune of encountering the dangerous plant in the Fredericksburg area — where he was gardening to raise money for college, per Newsweek — and, in his case, the contact with giant hogweed ended with a trip to the VCU Medical Center at the Virginia Commonwealth University.
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