Hogweed ( Heracleum sphondylium )

The main job for today was jungle fighting, massacring pruning a Berberis.  It had got so large it would interfere with the window cleaners and more importantly getting between the window and the bird feeders.  So on with the leather gloves and out with the loppers and secateurs.

The blip is Hogweed I mentioned a few days ago with the Blue Tit feeding.  This isn't to be confused with the dangerous Giant Hogweed.  Hogweed can grow to around 1.3m (4feet) whereas Giant Hogweed grows to 3m+ (10 feet).  I know of nothing detrimental about Hogweed, in fact my Mum used to tell me kids in her youth used the hollow stem as "Haw Blowers".  A sort of countryside peashooter but using haws not peas.