<P> Giant hogweed was among many foreign plants introduced to Britain in the 19th century as ornamental plants . It is now widespread throughout the British Isles, especially along riverbanks . By forming dense stands, they can displace native plants and reduce wildlife habitats . It has spread in the northeastern and northwestern United States, and southern Canada and is an invasive species in Germany, France, and Belgium, overtaking the local native species, Heracleum sphondylium . Giant hogweed was introduced to the Baltics during the Soviet era as fodder for cattle . </P> <P> In Canada, the plant has been sighted in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and in isolated areas of Newfoundland . It has been seen in Quebec since the early 1990s . The plant's spread in Ontario began in the southwest and was seen in 2010 in the greater Toronto area and Renfrew County near Ottawa . </P> <P> Giant hogweed was introduced into New York about 1917, and was recorded in British Columbia in the 1930s . It now occurs in the west in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon and in eastern North America from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia west to Ontario and Wisconsin and south to Indiana, Maryland, and New Jersey . It is also recorded occasionally in Michigan It is a federally listed noxious weed in many states . </P> <P> The sap of the giant hogweed plant is phototoxic; when the contacted skin is exposed to sunlight or to ultraviolet rays, it can cause phytophotodermatitis (severe skin inflammations). Initially, the skin colours red and starts itching . Blisters form as it burns within 48 hours . They form black or purplish scars that can last several years . Hospitalisation may be necessary . Although many media reports on giant hogweed suggest the plant can lead to temporary or permanent blindness, existing research on the plant does not back up this claim . </P>

Where is giant hogweed found in the us
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