Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Annual BiennialHerbaceous Perennial

Heracleum sphondylium

hogweed

A robust native biennial or short-lived perennial, frequently seen on roadside verges. Generally around 1m high it can reach 2m but is still much smaller than its infamous cousin giant hogweed. Stems are ridged and hollow, leaves hairy with broad, pinnate lobes. Off-white flowers in large umbels appear from midsummer to early autumn and attract a range of pollinators

Other common names

cadweed
clogweed
see morecow parsnip
eltrot
giant parsnip
madnep
meadow parsnip

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Apiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Semi evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: TOXIC to skin with sunlight. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets (dogs/poultry) with sunlight - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Heracleum can be biennial or perennial herbs and include species such as giant hogweed, fennel, cow parsley and ground elder.
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Naturally grows in grassy places such as rough grazing, hedgerows and roadsides. Can be encouraged in wilder areas of the garden to support a wide range of pollinators including beetles, flies, hoverflies, bees and wasps. For information on its more problematic cousin see giant hogweed

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens
Wildflower meadow

Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading will help prevent it self-seeding where not wanted

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.