Evil Plant Identified. We Ask "Is Phil Collins Responsible?!"

From Amy re: the evil plants "I am trying to figure out how to post on the blog but haven't got
there yet. Meanwhile ...it's hogweed
also known as heracleum mantegazzianum.

From wikipedia
In 1971, the rock band Genesis included a song entitled "The Return
of the Giant Hogweed" on their album Nursery Cryme, a tale of
botanical menace and herbicidal depravity.

Sounds like your kind of thing!!!"

Thanks so much and no problem about the posting. The Deep Bath is full service operation.

Here's a picture that accompanies this warning from the Massachusetts Poisonous Plants Media Outreach & Education Page

"Hogweed is a public health hazard. Its clear, watery sap has toxins that cause photo-dermatitis. Skin contact followed by exposure to sunlight produces painful, burning blisters that may develop into purplish or blackened scars. Contact with the eyes can cause temporary or permanent blindness." (my emphasis)

Holy smokes! Did I say it was an evil plant?! Somebody tell that man to get away from that thing! It doesn't say anything on the Mass. Evil Plants Department page about it exploding which, while not technically about poison, you would think "it explodes" is important information for people going out to pull this stuff up. But, Mother, I seem to remember you telling me about them exploding. Am I imagining that?

Anyway I am not sure that the plants I saw pointing menacingly at the Old City are heracleum mantegazzianum. They sure look similar but the ones in Jerusalem are way gianter. The ones I saw are like Monster Ultra Giant Hogweed (recorded by Yes, on their album Menacing Sprouts). But the Mass. Poison Plant People do say that its origins are in CENTRAL ASIA (cue the scary music).