After last weeks report on residents spotting Giant Hogweed on the Paint Creek Trail the Oakland Township Stewardship technicians surveyed the Paint Creek Trail from Dutton to Gunn Road looking for it (Heracleum mantegazzianum); no hogweed was found. However, multiple populations of the native ‘look-a-like’ species, Cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum), were seen.
A few traits to differentiate the species include:
– Cow parsnip – leaves and stem softly fuzzy; usually no taller than 8′
– Giant hogweed – stem is mottled purple; can grow to 15′ tall
See attached brochure for more details (the brochure can also be found here: http://mipn.org/MDA_Hogweed_Brochure.pdf)
The Midwest Invasive Plant Network website has additional information about this and other invasive plants: http://www.mipn.org/
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me or the other Oakland Township Stewardship Technicians (Kat, Jim, Summer) at 248-651-7810 x 401
About Tom and Ann Gendich