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Wild forage

Reenie

Reenie

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 19, 2017
Messages
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Location
Kirkintilloch, Glasgow
@Abi_nurse
I have a question and a comment on your brilliant post about wild plants you can feed. It's really helpful, as there are loads there that I wasn't sure about before.
My question is - how do you feed thistle and nettle? Can you put it in while it's still stingy/prickly, or do you have to do something to it to wilt it?
My comment was about hogweed. Your post suggests that giant hogweed is only an issue in the USA. It is now widespread in the UK. I felt it was important to point it out as it is not only toxic, but can cause serious burns if the sap gets on your skin. The burns don't happen immediately, but it causes a change in the skin which means it reacts very badly to sunlight, and the effect lasts for years. It's an evil weed, which I read up on when I was looking at foraging for human consumption, and I have made it my mission to spread the word due to the sometimes horrific injuries children in particular have suffered from this nasty plant.
Thanks for listening lol. X
 
Must admit I would stay well clear of any hogweed type plants, as we have some locally that grows to at least 6+ feet high & towers above me (although I'm slightly height restricted) but I'd be afraid it was just a young plant of the giant variety if it was smaller.

Most of the local plants are in an overgrown scrub area favoured by dog walkers, but at least its difficult to reach the plants-so it's left well alone.

I did read the difference between the giant and the other variety of it, the size of flowerhead/far more individual flower shafts per flower head, purple blotches on the stems & coarser hairs on the stems too of the giant variety.

Hemlock has similar features although more fern-like leaves, this is very poisonous ☠ , to humans & guineas!

I'll happily pick forage I can identify easily, but I leave anything I'm in the slightest doubt about - it's not worth the risk :no:

I'd just leave well alone any hogweed type of plant in the UK or USA for my own & Guineas safety :nod:
Xx
 
Reenie said:
@Abi_nurse
I have a question and a comment on your brilliant post about wild plants you can feed. It's really helpful, as there are loads there that I wasn't sure about before.
My question is - how do you feed thistle and nettle? Can you put it in while it's still stingy/prickly, or do you have to do something to it to wilt it?
My comment was about hogweed. Your post suggests that giant hogweed is only an issue in the USA. It is now widespread in the UK. I felt it was important to point it out as it is not only toxic, but can cause serious burns if the sap gets on your skin. The burns don't happen immediately, but it causes a change in the skin which means it reacts very badly to sunlight, and the effect lasts for years. It's an evil weed, which I read up on when I was looking at foraging for human consumption, and I have made it my mission to spread the word due to the sometimes horrific injuries children in particular have suffered from this nasty plant.
Thanks for listening lol. X
Click to expand...
Yes giant hogweed is nasty, my friend was volunteering at the National Trust a few years ago clearing some undergrowth and he attacked some giant hogweed with a strimmer... had no idea what it was until a few hours later he ended up in hospital with what looked like awful chemical burns everywhere he'd been splattered with the sap! Then he had to spend the whole summer wearing long sleeves...
 
I agree @GPTV I don't take the risk with anything hogweedish. There are so many poisonous plants that look similar, and I'm not experienced enough to be confident it's not one of the nasties.
@PigglePuggle - that's awful about your friend. The stem of the giant hogweed is hollow, and when it's large it is so tempting for children to use them as telescopes, with devastating results. So many people just don't know about the danger of them. There are so many around now, and until they are obviously 'giant' they can be easily mistaken for ordinary hogweed. The purple splodges on the stem aren't always evident in younger plants, and if you put a large common hogweed and a young giant hogweed together, you would be hard pushed to tell the difference.
 
From what I understand the sap burns & it makes your skin sensitive to the light, causing burn like symptoms/blisters/pain for a long time afterwards (sometimes years after the original exposure to the sap).
@PigglePuggle hope your friend has recovered fully now?
 
GPTV said:
From what I understand the sap burns & it makes your skin sensitive to the light, causing burn like symptoms/blisters/pain for a long time afterwards (sometimes years after the original exposure to the sap).
@PigglePuggle hope your friend has recovered fully now?
Click to expand...
Yes thanks he recovered fine but it was a couple of months of nasty blisters and a whole summer of long sleeves! Luckily he was wearing gloves and long trousers and a face visor as he was strimming nettles too but it was unexpected and very nasty!
 
Hogweed sap is horrible, gives you lots of blisters on your skin, you should report it to local council, along with Ragwort which is also a notifiable plant which is lethal of ponies and horses and has been known to kill humans who had touched it.
 
Hello,
Thanks for the comments. I don't have any giant hogweed where I live and I haven't encountered it as of yet in the UK. I do feed the piggies hogweed but only the leaves and they are very fond of it. Of course you need to be very careful with what you pick. It's certainly not giant here but thank you for pointing this point out to everyone.

As for thistles and nettles. I have fed thistles with no issue before and they have eaten it dried as well as dried nettle when it has come through in my hay. As far as I'm aware you can feed fresh but I have yet to try this out. I keep forgetting to take gloves with me whilst out foraging for them.

To add - of course only people should be feeding what they feel comfortable with identifying and picking.

x
 
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