Giant hogweed is an invasive species which can cause painful burns, make your skin sensitive to strong sunlight and cause blindness if in contact with eyes.

Advertisement

Preston City Council has issued a warning about the weed and how to identify and treat it.

The weed is potentially a harmful plant species which spreads quickly and takes over other plants

Read more: Memorial benches plan for Preston Docks

You can identify the weed by:

• Can reach over 3 meters tall when fully grown
• Leaves expand up to 1.5 metres in width and have a jagged appearance with spiky ends
• Large white flower heads that are usually 50 centimetres wide
• Large seeds in clusters
• Purple blotched stems with a fine hair-like appearance
• Hollow stems
• Spread by seeds

The council are able to deal with problems on private and public land they own and the public is encouraged to report any sightings to the council.

Should giant hogweed be growing on your land, the council can share specialist companies to deal with the weed and the public is encouraged not to dispose of it themselves.

Hogweed should never be disposed of in your household, business or green waste collection.

To find out more about the weed and report any sightings, visit the Preston City Council website.

See what’s happening near you by entering your postcode below or visit InYourArea

Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines