And the incredible reproductive rate of this big bad boy is certainly something to take note of: 100,000 seeds in one go is nothing to laugh at.
Some headlines have referred to Giant Hogweed as dangerous and invasive. At the back of the crowd, more experienced gardeners are politely coughing for attention. Why stop there?
Why aren't there radio reports on the deadliness of delphinium? Every part of those lovely tall spires that are starting to bloom right now is highly poisonous.
Why isn't lily-of-the-valley on the front page? Don't you dare pop any of the red berries that develop from its dainty white bells in your mouth.
And as far as invasiveness goes - the alarmists obviously haven't seen the bindweed (wild morning glory) that I'm struggling to prevent from merrily taking over a yew hedge on my property, or spent an afternoon pulling wheelbarrows of mint from my west bed. And why hasn't poison ivy received the same attention?
Knowledge about gardening, and potentially poisonous or overly rambunctious plants is every bit as important as stopping to sniff the first rose in bloom. It's especially crucial to teach children which plants are harmful on the property.
Weeds are in the eye of the beholder. Milkweed for instance is listed as a noxious weed in the province, and yet I have gardening friends who plant it specifically for the monarch butterfly as the leaves are a favourite food for the caterpillars.
The Nova Scotia Museum has a great website highlighting more than 50 plants that can cause vomiting, convulsions, diarrhea, heart failure, contact dermatitis or death.
I chuckled when I read that there is a song from Genesis on their 1971 album Nursery Cryme called "The Return of the Giant Hogweed". The song presents a time when the Giant Hogweed poses a menace of apocalyptic proportions, threatening the human race.
That scenario appeared to be unfolding here in recent coverage, but if anything positive came from all the hue and cry, it is that people are a little more cognizant of the dangers some plants pose to the human race.
