Master of all traits: can we successfully fight giant hogweed?

Abstract

The Caucasian Apiaceae giant hogweed, Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier, has been with us in Europe for almost two centuries (see Jahodova et al., Chapter 1, this volume), but as is the case with most invasive species, it has received serious attention only in recent decades. A need for practical solutions to the problems posed by ecological and economic impacts, and scientific appeal associated with one of the most spectacular plant invasions in Europe, were the main reasons for giant hogweed becoming the subject of the international GIANT ALIEN project, which included participants from various parts of Europe with a wide range of expertise (Nielsen et al., 2005). It is not surprising that during the work on the GIANT ALIEN project some myths were unmasked: the plant is almost never truly biennial in the field (Pergl et al., Chapter 6, this volume); it does not produce over 100,000 fruits (Perglova et al., Chapter 4, this volume); the seeds do not survive for 15 years in the soil (Moravcova et al., Chapter 6, this volume); and it is not polycarpic (Pysek et al., Chapter 7, this volume). Surprisingly, the reputation of giant hogweed is even worse than it deserves – because of its attractiveness to the public it became a tabloid archetypal plant invader. It even attracted the attention of artists – long before scientists in Europe began to recognize the problem of this species, H. mantegazzianum was the subject of the song ‘The