Giant Hogweed in Somerset

[661-Pete]

... and who am I to doubt the reports from the Daily Mail ...

Daily Heil? That explains everything. I'll bet you can get cancer of the eyeballs just by looking at the wretched weeds ...

Actually, if we really want to stop our kids getting painful reactions, we'll just have to eradicate all stinging nettles from the environment, too. Of course, that would eliminate some of our most admired butterflies too, seeing as their caterpillars would have nothing to eat. But, oh well...

The case for protecting the Giant Hogweed is not so strong, seeing as it's an introduced plant. But, honestly, it's perfectly harmless just so long as you only look at it, and don't touch it. It's not as if it's something you might fail to notice as you push your way through the bracken*. We're not talking Day of the Triffids here!

*Incidentally, are you aware of all the nasty toxins lurking in bracken? Plus other nasties?

[Paulatic]

Bracken at its most dangerous just now. (First two weeks in July)
Used to be cut ,baled and used as bedding in the winter. Hate to think what I was breathing in as a lad.

[661-Pete]

I believe dried bracken, used as bedding (badgers are reputed to be fond of it) is much less toxic than the fresh fern, so rest easy! It is however, extraordinary, that despite its well-documented toxicity, the young fronds ('fiddleheads') are still used as food in many parts of the world: particularly in the Far East and amongst some indigenous North Americans. Maybe these people have developed some resistance to its effects. But Japan has a high incidence of stomach cancer - although this could be put down to their living longer and being less susceptible to cardiovascular disease...

One thing to watch out for, especially if you push your way through bracken wearing shorts, is ticks. When they're not actually gorging themselves on deer and other animals, they often lie in wait in the ferns waiting for another victim to pass by. And human blood is just as tasty to them as deer or sheep blood! And I don't need to remind you that ticks may carry Lyme disease . If you find one on yourself, or a child or dog, remove it as soon as possible with tweezers, then clean the area with antiseptic. Don't mess around with salt or other so-called 'remedies'...

[TonyR]

Actually, if we really want to stop our kids getting painful reactions, we'll just have to eradicate all stinging nettles from the environment, too. Of course, that would eliminate some of our most admired butterflies too, seeing as their caterpillars would have nothing to eat. But, oh well...

The consequences of a stinging nettle sting and a giant hogweed burn are orders of magnitude apart. The former is gone by the next morning, the latter can affect you for years to come.

It is in fact an offence to allow it to grow in the wild. If its allowed to seed it can take 15 years before it is eradicated.

[Heltor Chasca]

As a gardener this is a very interesting thread. In my early teens in Africa, we were taught that the unfurling bracken was a source of emergency food! Tastes rather nutty. Incorrect advice by the sounds of it but here I am still alive and as far as I'm aware without any resulting problems [emoji89]

[LollyKat]

I thought it was the bracken spores that are carcinogenic? Presumably the young fronds won't have developed the spores yet.

[Heltor Chasca]

I thought it was the bracken spores that are carcinogenic? Presumably the young fronds won't have developed the spores yet.

Fascinating. Thanks LK. More digging and delving to be done...b

[MikeF]

... and who am I to doubt the reports from the Daily Mail ...

Daily Heil? That explains everything. I'll bet you can get cancer of the eyeballs just by looking at the wretched weeds ...

Actually, if we really want to stop our kids getting painful reactions, we'll just have to eradicate all stinging nettles from the environment, too. Of course, that would eliminate some of our most admired butterflies too, seeing as their caterpillars would have nothing to eat. But, oh well...

The case for protecting the Giant Hogweed is not so strong, seeing as it's an introduced plant. But, honestly, it's perfectly harmless just so long as you only look at it, and don't touch it. It's not as if it's something you might fail to notice as you push your way through the bracken*. We're not talking Day of the Triffids here!

*Incidentally, are you aware of all the nasty toxins lurking in bracken? Plus other nasties?

I don't think you are aware of the problem caused by Giant Hogweed. To compare the effects of GH with those of stinging nettles is not comparing like with like. The effects of GH may need hospital treatment if severe and the effects can last for years.

And yes bracken contains toxins, but we don't normally eat that!

Edit here's a reference, but there are many

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/06/25/giant-hogweed-dangers-agonising-blisters-burns_n_7660650.html

[Paulatic]

I thought it was the bracken spores that are carcinogenic? Presumably the young fronds won't have developed the spores yet.

Yes my memory failed me there. Used to be informed from the forestry commission workers as to when they were warned to avoid bracken areas. Seems like August onwards.

Quote" Bracken produces spores of approximately 30 micrometres in diameter8 that are cata- pulted into the air between mid-August and mid-to-late September.9 Spore yield varies from year to year.10 A number of years with few or no spores being produced will be followed by a year with exceptionally high spore yield (a mast year). Mast years tend to occur when the weather from May to July is particularly sunny, dry, and hot.11 Spores can be transported over long distances by the wind12 but most spores fall within a few metres of the source. Low concentrations of bracken spores were found9 in the airstream over Edinburgh even though the nearest small area of bracken was 1.6 km away. It is likely that spores are present in some concentration in the air everywhere in Britain during the sporing season. Bracken spores have been found to contain a carcinogen.

[MikeF]

Biggest problem from bracken now is not the bracken itself, but the presence of ticks which are carrying Lyme disease. I know a few people that have contracted this - an extremely nasty disease, and now much more common. Increased number of deer maybe a contributing factor to its prevalence.
http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/about-lyme/faq/

[Paulatic]

We've been there before.
viewtopic.php?t=86422

[Vorpal]

Bracken, and it's spores do contain a carcinogen, but the levels vary considerably, and blanching and frying (the way the Japanese prepare them) or boiling render them nearly harmless.

Bracken fern fiddles are the subject of controversy and heated debate on foraging forums

http://honest-food.net/2011/06/24/brack ... or-poison/ has a pretty good perspective on the subject.

[661-Pete]

Well, I'm a keen forager - of mushrooms and other fungi. And I can assure you, there are plenty of controversies surrounding the edibility - or not - of certain fungi.

Many of you will probably have heard of the Death Cap - Amanita phalloides. About this there really is no controversy - everyone agrees that it is a killer! But careless mycophagists still occasionally succumb to it, despite all the warnings!

Amongst the controversial ones are - for example, the False Morel (Gyromitra esculenta), the Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) and - yes it probably needs to be mentioned - the magic 'shroom, Psilocybe semilanceata.

Of the False Morel, the books are in no doubt - steer well clear! But in some cultures it is boiled down, the boiling water discarded, then the fungus eaten in some way (probably rendered tasteless!). It is said that boiling the fungus releases hydrazine which is a toxic gas, so you need to stay out of the kitchen. I have seen the fungus growing abundantly in Scotland, but I'd prefer not to experiment!

The Fly Agaric and the Magic mushroom - well their tripping effects are pretty well documented. I'd call them poisonous, and await the clamour of denials...!

Oh and another anecdote. There's a very common beast called the Brown Roll-rim, Paxillus involutus, which some older books describe as 'edible after cooking'. But there is one documented record of a competent mycologist dying after eating some of these mushrooms. Modern books describe it as poisonous.

I'm all for foraging (in moderation - don't clean out a site!), but you need to know what you're doing....

[MikeF]

All fungi are edible ............ but some only once.

[Mick F]

Bracken at its most dangerous just now. (First two weeks in July)
Used to be cut ,baled and used as bedding in the winter. Hate to think what I was breathing in as a lad.

Surrounded by it here. If I didn't cut it regularly, it would be growing in the carpets in the living room.