Heracleum sphondylium L.
Heracleum sphondylium
Heracleum sphondylium, commonly known as hogweed or common hogweed, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the carrot family Apiaceae. It is native to most of Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa but has been introduced in North America. The plant is tall, roughly hairy, and can reach up to 2 meters in height. It has hollow, ridged stems with bristly hairs arising from a large taproot. The leaves are pinnate, hairy, serrated, and can reach up to 50 centimeters in length. The flowers are white or rarely pinkish-white to purplish, arranged in umbels with 10–25 hairy rays. The fruit is a flattened schizocarp, about 7–12 mm long.
Details
Apiales
Apiaceae
Heracleum
Heracleum sphondylium contains furanocoumarins, which are phytophototoxic compounds. These compounds can cause photodermatitis when contaminated skin is exposed to sunlight, similar to giant hogweed but at much lower concentrations.
The flowers provide nectar for pollinators. The young shoots are edible and used in various culinary preparations. In some cultures, it is used as an aphrodisiac and to treat gynecological problems. The seeds can be dried and used as a spice similar to cardamom.
June to September
Up to 2 meters
White or rarely pinkish-white to purplish
Grasslands, herb-rich meadows, hedges, meadows and woods, road verges and railway embankments, waste and cultivated ground. It grows well on moist, improved nitrogen-rich soils and can occur in mountain areas up to 2,500 meters of altitude.
Info
Pannon Flora Ltd. was founded on December 13, 1999, by Gábor Janik, who retains 95% ownership. Janik holds an MSc in Horticulture from the University of Horticultural Sciences (1986) and an Advanced Professional English Certification from the College of International Trade (1990). The company specializes in bird feed production and export, primarily serving markets in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, alongside cultivating and distributing imported/exported horticultural seeds. It maintains exclusive partnerships with JOEUN Seed (South Korea) and Takii Europe (Japan), a leader in professional seed breeding and production. Pannon Flora collaborates with certification bodies such as NÉBIH (National Food Chain Safety Office), MERT Kontroll, and SGS Hungary to ensure compliance and quality. The company works with approximately 400 Hungarian growers, ranging from small-scale producers (under 5 hectares) to mid-sized farms and large-scale agricultural enterprises. This profile emphasizes agribusiness expertise, technical partnerships, and operational scalability tailored to international client needs.
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