Edible plant - Intermediate Season - March to October Common names hogweed, common hogweed, cow parsnip, eltrot
Scientific name meaning: Heracleum is derived from the Greek "Herakleion", and is a reference to the mythological hero Hercules. Sphodylium means "vertebrae" and in reference to the jointed main stem of common hogweed.
Habitat  Grassland, hedgerows, roadsides and woodland clearings. It is found throughout Europe, and in some parts of Asia and Africa. |
Overall structure  Common hogweed has a broad rosette of green leaves with a tall flower stalk that can reach 2m tall. |
Leaves  Its dark green leaves are one-time pinnate but the leaflets can vary in appearance from being bluntly lobed to very pointed. Hairs are present all over the leaves and their stems, but are most dense on the upper leaf surface where they are short and silvery-white. The leaf-steam cross section is solid and U-shaped. |
Stem  The hollow stem can reach 2m tall. It is deeply ridged and covered in hairs. It is green in colour but can often been seen with maroon-purple colouring. |
Flowers  The flower umbels form in the upper leaf axils and are encased in the pouch-like flattened leaf stem. When they emerge, they resemble pale broccoli florets. When the flowers open, they are white to pinkish and have five petals. Flowers at the centre of the umbel are radially symmetrical; those on the outer edge are bilaterally symmetrical. The aroma is of "pig urine", hence its name. |
Possible lookalikes  Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), which has serious phototoxic potential, could be mistaken for common hogweed. Giant hogweed is much larger, however, reaching 5-6m. In addition, the top surface of giant hogweed's leaf is hairless, while common hogweed has fine silvery-white hairs covering its upper leaf surface. |
Use as a food Common Hogweed can cause some potential issues (see hazards) and should never be eaten uncooked.
The young leaf shoots have a pleasant, unusual and almost herby flavour. They can be steamed, fried, baked, boiled, sautéed or roasted. Older leaves should not be consumed.
The young flower heads can be treated in the same way as the young leaf shoots. A popular way to eat them is to prepare them is as a tempura vegetable.
The young green seeds have a strong coriander-like flavour, and can be roasted and used as a spice. They give a particularly nice flour to biscuits and are delicious pickled Hazards There are a group of chemicals known as Furanocoumarins (or Furocoumarins) that occur within common hogweed. These Furanocoumarins have phototoxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic properties. If the skin is splashed with sap during harvesting or strimming, for example, and exposed to UV light, a severe reaction can occur. The reaction manifests in the form of burns - from a sun-burn like effect to blisters. With giant hogweed, a phototoxic lookalike, this reaction is much more severe. Cooking is believed to deactivate the Furanocumarins, however, some studies on plants within the same family have shown that domestic cooking environments are not sufficient for this.
Some Furanocumarins are now known to have an effect on medication absorption and effect.
Common hogweed is a relative of celery, the allergen causing the greatest number of food allergies in the UK. Common hogweed can also cause allergies in some people and it is advised to avoid it if a celery allergy is know, and to do a tolerance test if not.
There are now nine known subspecies of Heracleum sphondylium (common hogweed) and two occur in the UK. Variation in leaf shape and form can make it difficult for a novice forager. In addition to this, members of the genus Heracleum readily hybridise, including crosses between giant and common hogweed. This further increases identification difficulties.
Use in herbal medicine and medicine Common hogweed has been used as an aphrodisiac, digestive aid, sedative and to treat chest complaints.
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner. Importance to other species Very important food source for pollinators and birds.
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
Kommentare