The Giant Hogweed Plant Can Cause Blindness: The Plants Are Spread Throughout New York And Indiana

The giant hogweed plant can cause blindness and burns to any human that comes near in Indiana and New York.

Starting to spread throughout India, the giant hogweed plant can cause blindness and severe skin irritation if a person touches it, according to environmental officials.

The giant hogweed plant is not deadly, the officials told Newsmax.com. Division Director for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology Philip Marshall said his agency is warning residents to keep away.

"We are trying to get rid of it," Marshall told Newsmax. "It has a big flower and there are a lot of look alikes."

Marshall said that the plants do not blend in, but can grow 15 feet in height and has white flowers and huge, sharp leaves. It also has purple-splotched stems. The giant hogweed plant blooms in the late spring, but can be confused with the other plants, like the Cows Parsnip. The Cows Parsnip is not dangerous, according to Marshall.

These plants have been spotted in northern Indiana's St. Joseph County and Kosciusko County as well as near railroad tracks, Marshall said. The giant hogweed plant is also in New York and has been for over 100 years. According to the Washington Post, the plants are still spread throughout New York.