As if 2024 hasn’t already had enough challenges, Mother Nature has added a new one: A flowering plant that can cause serious burns and alter human DNA is spreading across New York.

It looks like an innocent flower, but it’s so dangerous it can alter human DNA.
The Giant Hogweed is one of the most dangerous invasive plants in the US — and it’s all over New York state.

The hogweed is packed with sap that causes phytophotodermatitis — meaning it stops the skin’s ability to protect itself from the sun’s harmful rays. In extreme cases, exposure can result in third-degree burns and even blindness. And the effects can last months, or even years.

Even just brushing against a Hogweed is enough to cause painful pustules and skin damage. And most people who come into contact with the noxious weed, don’t even realize it until it’s too late.

This is no little dandelion or your stealthy poison ivy. The plant can grow over 10 feet, and its white flowers can be more than 2 feet in diameter.