From the Headwater Streams Committee:
Deputy Mayor Fred Nix and Karen Morrison — the co-founders of the Headwater Streams Committee — spent the first week of July destroying several hundred Giant Hogweed plants along the Nottawasaga River. They were assisted by Doug Schaefer (who took the accompanying picture). The Giant Hogweed — the very tall plants with large white flowers behind Fred and Karen — are an invasive species. They can be dangerous. From Wikipedia: “The sap of giant hogweed is phototoxic and causes phytophotodermatitis in humans, resulting in blisters and scars. These serious reactions are due to the furanocoumarin derivatives in the leaves, roots, stems, flowers, and seeds of the plant. Consequently, the jurisdictions of many regions consider it a noxious weed.“[1] In plainer English, the sap from the plant, if exposed to skin, can cause serious burns when sunlight is present.
If you are aware of Giant Hogweeds on your property, please contact the Headwater Streams Committee. These are volunteers, not Town employees, so they will take requests only to the extent they can handle the work. Email Councillor Fred Nix at fred.nix@townofmono.com for details.


References:
- Wikipedia contributors. (2025, June 28). Heracleum mantegazzianum. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 9, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heracleum_mantegazzianum&oldid=1297708272