Hogweed flower (Heracleum sphondylium)
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Hogweed flower (Heracleum sphondylium) by Evelyn Simak as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Hogweed flower (Heracleum sphondylium)
Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 22 Jun 2008
Hogweed is the most common member of the parsley family, and bright orange soldier beetles can quite often be found on their flowers. Until fairly recently the plant used to be gathered for pig fodder and the young leaves were once considered a delicacy fit for humans; when boiled they taste similar to asparagus. Children have long used the hollow stems of the plant as pea shooters.
Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Image Location
Latitude
52.678328
Longitude
1.632098