Sosnowski&39;s borscht(Heracleum sosnowsky), also known colloquially as Stalin&39;s revenge, was brought to Poland by the Russians in the 1980s. It is a highly expansive and highly poisonous plant, and its cultivation is prohibited by law in our country. Sosnowski&39;s borscht prefers humid sites and most often occurs along water courses. More and more often it can be found close to urban agglomerations, which poses a great threat to the inhabitants. To protect yourself from it, seewhat Sosnowski&39;s borscht looks like , what areburn symptomsand how isfighting Sosnowski&39;s borscht"
Sosnowski's borscht (Heracleum sosnowsky)
What does Sosnowski's borscht look like?
The appearance of Sosnowski's borschtis quite characteristic, because the whole plant is very massive, it can grow up to 3-4m in height. Its individual parts are much larger than the borscht with which it is often confused (the differences are discussed in detail below).
Sosnowski's borscht is a biennial plant , although there are also specimens that live longer. In the first year, it produces a rosette of leaves with a diameter of up to 150 cm. In spring, the plant develops very early, right after the start of the growing season. Already in April, Sosnowski's borscht takes the form of a ground rosette with a diameter of 10-30 cm, formed by pinnate, dark green leaves. As the temperature rises, the hogweed grows faster and in May the plant can reach a height of 2 m.
In the second year (around May) a flower shoot grows,characteristic of Sosnowski's borschtIn the lower part it is covered with purple spots, and ends with umbellate inflorescences typical of the celery family. the diameter is up to 50 cm.Sosnowski's borscht blooms from June to July
Sosnowski's borscht is massive and thick(diameter up to 10 cm), deeply furrowed, on the lower part covered with purple spots. Inside it is empty. When the plant completes its life cycle, the stem dries up and can survive in this state for several years.
Interesting fact!The inflorescences of Sosnowski's borscht are eagerly visited by useful pollinating insects. However, this is the only advantage of Sosnowski's borscht, as this plant is very dangerous both for people and animals.
Sosnowski's borscht growing on roadside areas
Fig. depositphotos.com
Sosnowski's borscht and common borscht - differences
Sosnowski's borscht (Heracleum sosnowsky) is often confused with common borscht (Heracleum sphondylium). To make sure whether a given plant is a threat to us, it is worth learning to distinguish between them.
Here are the most importantdifferences between Sosnowski's borscht and common borscht :
- Borscht is much finer than Sosnowski's borscht , and its height is usually between 1-1.5m
- Borscht has much smaller inflorescences than Sosnowski's borscht . The diameter of borscht inflorescences ranges from a few to several cm, while the diameter of Sosnowski's borscht inflorescences ranges from 30 to 80 cm
- Sosnowski's borscht blooms earlier than common borscht . Sosnowski's borscht blooms in June-July, while common borscht in July-August
- In the case of Sosnowski's borscht, the shoots with inflorescences branch very strongly from the main shoot to the sides , while in the common borscht they are arranged much closer to each other, parallel
- Sosnowski's borscht stalk is covered with purple spotswhich are not present on borscht stalk
- Plants vary greatly in stem thickness and massiveness . The borscht stalk is small, 2-3 cm in diameter, while the diameter of Sosnowski's borscht stalk is 10 cm
- The leaves of Sosnowski's borscht are much largerand their length may exceed 1m, while the leaves of the borscht are no more than 50 cm long
- Different leaf shape . The leaves of Sosnowski's borscht are trifoliate (the division, however, is very slightly visible), vivid green in color, while the leaves of the common borscht are 3-5 leafy or pinnate, dark green in color
European borscht and Sosnówka borscht
Fig. AnRo0002 and Popadius, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
If we are sure that we have just encountered Sosnowski's borscht, it is worth finding out what threatens us after contact with this plant and what to do in case of possible burns.
Symptoms of Sosnowski's borscht burn
On all parts of Sosnowski's borscht, including the roots, there are small hairs containing essential oils. Their basic ingredient is coumarin compounds. And it is these substances that cause suchhigh toxicity of Sosnowski's borscht
On contact with the skinSosnowski's borscht gives severe burn symptoms… The greatest risk of burns after contact with Sosnowski's borscht, it occurs in late spring and summer, in sunny weather with high temperatures, during the flowering and maturation of these plants.Exposing skin burned by Sosnowski's borscht to the sun exacerbates the symptoms. This plant, however, is not a threat in winter.
Symptoms of burns by Sosnowski's borscht are as follows :
- The strongest symptoms appear 30 minutes to 2 hours after contact with the skin . They worsen even more if you expose the burn site to sunlight or if you sweat a lot (humidity intensifies the symptoms).
- After 24 hours, the burned skin turns red and blisters appear filled with serous fluid . This inflammation lasts for 2-4 days
- After a week the blisters darkenand remain on the skin for several months. The places of burns are still very sensitive to the sun's rays.
- After healing, there are scarswhich are still sensitive to light for many years.
Burns on the hand after contact with Sosnowski's borscht
Fig. Ivo Kruusamägi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The above-mentioned skin changes, which we call burns, are not the only symptoms that Sosnowski's borscht can cause.Other symptoms of Sosnowski's borscht poisoning are :
- respiratory tract irritation
- nausea and vomiting
- headaches
- eye irritation and conjunctivitis
In hypersensitive people (especially allergy sufferers)burns with Sosnowski's borscht may lead to serious complications , including tissue necrosis leading to amputation of the burned limb. There are also cases of death after contact with Sosnowski's borscht.
Note!On hot summer days, Sosnowski's borscht juice can evaporate and float in the air. As a result, sometimes you don't even have to touch the plant to get burned - just be around it.
Sosnowski's borscht is also dangerous for farm animalsIt can injure the udders of dairy cows (unfortunately the only solution is to kill the injured animal), and after eating the green parts, it causes digestive tract burns, internal hemorrhage and diarrhea.
What to do when we notice the symptoms of Sosnowski's borsch burn?
Symptoms of burns by Sosnowski's borschtshould be minimized as soon as possible by washing the skin with plenty of soap and water, contacting a doctor and avoiding sun exposure for at least a few days.
In the case of burns with Sosnowski's borscht,ointments intended for the treatment of dry and scaly skin lesions, preventing allergic reactions, are helpful.Burn creamcan also help reduce pain and itching. We should remember, however, that the appropriate specifics should be selected by a doctor.
Fighting Sosnowski's borscht
Fighting Sosnowski's borscht is very difficult , because the plant is extremely expansive and grows vigorously. Therefore, the fighting treatments should be repeated several times.
It should be remembered thatbefore you start fighting Sosnowski's borscht on your own, you should cover your body very well so that the plant does not come into contact with the skinAn outfit made of synthetic, waterproof materials, including gloves with long sleeves. Unfortunately, materials made of natural fibers, such as linen or cotton, absorb the juice and are penetrated by the hair of Sosnowski's borscht. The eyes are protected by wearing goggles or glasses.
It is also a good, if not a better ideanotify local authorities of Sosnowski's borschtand leave the plant removed to properly trained people.
The most effective method is to remove one-year-old leaf rosettes in the fall , when they are easiest to recognize. This can be done with common garden tools such as a hoe or shovel.
Sosnowskeigo's borscht is also combated by cutting the inflorescence shootThis treatment should be repeated 3-4 times, because after each cutting, the plant will produce new umbels lower and lower. The mowing of inflorescence shoots should be done early so that the plant does not produce seeds.
Use of chemicals , such as Roundup, is helpful in combating Sosnowski's borscht. Spraying will not only weaken the plant but also make its seeds have much less germination. The spraying treatment should be repeated several times.
Katarzyna Marcinkowska
