Heracleum sphondylium seed

LATIN NAME: Heracleum sphondylium

COMMON NAME: Hogweed

Hogweed is the fine, bold, tall, umbellate plant of the moist meadows and the waysides, and its great, broad heads of the small, white flowers have made it a familiar of the old countryside for a very long time. The tall, hollow, ribbed stems carry the large, coarse, deeply divided leaves, and the great, flat, broad heads of the small, white flowers open through the early summer, drawing in the flies, the beetles and the bees. The plant is a fine, generous, tall perennial of the damp, open ground, and it is a fine sight of the wild meadow and the wayside. It is a plant of the deep, moist, rich ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Hogweed has a steady and growing place in the plant science, and the plant has been studied for its great, broad flower heads and its place among the tall umbellate perennials of the meadows. The way the tall, hollow stems rise through the damp, rich ground has been looked at closely, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the wild meadow perennials and the pollen plants of the countryside. The large, deeply divided leaves and the broad heads of the small, white flowers have also made it a fine garden plant, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the native umbellifers and the meadow wildflowers.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Hogweed is grown for the great, broad heads of the small, white flowers. The tall, bold umbels are one of the finest sights of the early summer meadow, and they draw in the bees, the flies and the beetles of the season. The plant is a fine, generous addition to the wild meadow, the pond-side and the tall, damp border, and the young, tender stems and leaves have a long record of use in the old ways of the region. The sap of the cut stems can make the skin sensitive to the sun, so the plant is best handled with the gloves and admired from the edge of the meadow. It has been written about in the botanical papers for its bold, generous umbels and its old records of use, and it is a fine, tall plant of the damp, rich garden.

Hogweed is one of the great tall meadow perennials, and the great, flat, broad heads of the small, white flowers are one of the finest sights of the early summer. The tall, hollow, ribbed stems rise through the damp, rich ground, and the young, tender stems and leaves have a long record of use in the old ways of the region.

In the right spot the hogweed is a fine, dependable, generous perennial, and it asks for very little beyond the deep, moist, rich ground. The great, broad heads of the small, white flowers are one of the finest sights of the early-summer meadow, and they draw in the bees and the beetles of the season.

To grow the hogweed from seed, sow the seeds fresh at a shallow depth in pots of moist, free-draining soil in the open air, since the fresh seed often comes up in the spring, keep them in a bright, open spot and water gently. The seedlings thread up in good time and grow on fast. A deep, moist, rich spot in the open ground will see the great, broad heads of the white flowers through the early summer.

Apiaceae/Umbelliferae: an herbaceous perennial to 2m. Found moist grassland and ditches, by hedges and in woods. The flowers are pinkish or white flowers with 5 petals. They are arranged in large umbels of up to 20 cm of diameter with 15 to 30 rays, blooming from June-September. The small fruits are flattened and winged. The leaves can reach 50cm in length. They are pinnate, hairy and serrated, divided into 3–5 lobed segments. Native to Europe, including Britain, Western North Africa, West and Northern Asia.

USES:

The roots and the leaves have aphrodisiac, digestive, mildly expectorant and sedative properties.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Sow seeds from mid to late spring or early autumn in situ. A very easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil, doing best in moist soils or deep woodland. Grows well in full sun or partial shade. A good bee plant. Very easy!