More than a decade after authorities set out to eradicate giant hogweed in Akureyri, the dangerous invasive plant is still growing around the North Iceland town.
Municipal workers remove the plant from public land every year, but authorities say eradication has proved difficult because giant hogweed also grows on private property, where responsibility for removing it rests with landowners.
What’s the Story?
- Akureyri is still trying to eradicate giant hogweed after years of removal efforts.
- The plant’s sap can cause severe burns when exposed to sunlight and can seriously damage the eyes.
- Iceland Review reported more than 2,000 giant hogweed plants at 450 locations around Akureyri in 2015.
A Persistent Problem
Giant hogweed did not arrive in Iceland by accident. The towering plant was deliberately introduced as an ornamental garden plant before its invasive nature and dangerous sap became apparent. Its cultivation is now prohibited.
Contact with the sap can make skin extremely sensitive to sunlight, causing serious burns. If it reaches the eyes, it can cause severe injury and potentially damage eyesight.
The problem in Akureyri is hardly new. In 2015, Iceland Review reported that a survey had identified more than 2,000 giant hogweed plants at 450 separate locations around Akureyri, as botanists called for a coordinated effort to eradicate the invasive plant.
Eleven years later, the plant has still not disappeared.
Akureyri municipality removes giant hogweed growing on municipal land, but plants growing on privately owned property are the responsibility of individual landowners. That makes complete eradication considerably more difficult.
The problem is not confined to North Iceland. Last summer, Reykjavík launched its own effort to remove giant hogweed from public land, while encouraging residents to report sightings and take precautions when removing plants themselves.
People attempting to remove giant hogweed are advised to cover their skin completely, wear gloves and protect their eyes. Reykjavík authorities recommend cutting and digging up the plant while taking care to avoid contact with its sap.
For Akureyri, however, more than a decade of attempted eradication has demonstrated just how difficult the plant can be to get rid of once established.
Source: RÚV
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