Giant Hogweed: Teenager suffers painful blisters from plant

Ross McPherson was out cycling in and around Dunbar on June 12 and noticed redness and slight pain within hours of coming home.

Within two days, he noticed yellow blisters appearing on his left hand and visited the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

The Dunbar Grammar School pupil thinks he brushed against giant hogweed while out on his bike.

Ross McPherson suffered a painful injury after coming into contact with Giant Hogweed

He said: “My hand felt warm, very warm.

“It was hot to touch and it felt quite sore but nowhere near as painful as it was going to get.

“I had blisters that kept on getting bigger throughout the day.”

The 16-year-old visited the Capital hospital but was initially told that there was not an issue.

However, a family friend suggested he return to the hospital, where his hand was disinfected and the blisters were cut off.

READ MORE: Giant Hogweed seen in East Lothian- How to deal with the toxic plant

Ross said: “You are not allowed anaesthetic.

“They need to know you are feeling the pain because the nerves can become damaged.

“They drained or took the jelly out and started cutting round the base of them or scraping them with a scalpel.

“It hurt to the point that I fainted during it.”

Now, the blisters have been removed, Ross’ skin on his left hand is still pink and is expected to remain like that for a number of days.

Ross McPherson suffered a painful injury after coming into contact with Giant Hogweed

Doctors have told him that the area on his hand could be hypersensitive and hyperpigmented, making it more susceptible to burning.

Now, he has called on East Lothian Council and landowners to do more to ensure the plants are removed.

Giant hogweed can reach heights of more than three metres and the sap can cause severe skin burns.

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council stressed plants alongside a path stretching from Spott Road to new homes being built to the east of the town were not giant hogweed but instead hogweed.

She said: "It’s often confused with non-native giant hogweed, but is actually a native biennial or short-lived perennial wildflower (often classed as a weed), found in hedgerows, roadside verges, allotments and waste ground.

"It flowers from May to August, attracting a huge range of insects.

"The council will deal with giant hogweed if and when it appears on land we are responsible for.

"By contrast, giant hogweed is a non-native species and should be avoided as it can cause skin irritation, burning, and blistering due to sap, blinding if sap gets in the eyes and liver damage or even death if ingested.

"Anyone spotting giant hogweed should report it via the council contact centre or our website."