Pennsylvania's Giant Hogweed Eradication Program is proving successful in eliminating the noxious and invasive weed that can cause skin blistering and scarring on susceptible people, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said this week.

"Efforts to remove Giant Hogweed in Pennsylvania are moving forward thanks to the hard work of the crews who locate and treat the noxious weed," said Secretary Wolff. "As treatment continues, we encourage local residents to stay away from infested areas, and to report any suspected sightings."

The Department of Agriculture's noxious weed program staff teamed with Penn State University for an annual Giant Hogweed "hunt" along Little Kettle Creek, Potter County, near Carter Camp. The group surveyed six miles of infested stream banks from Zoerb Hollow Road to Ole Bull State Park.

This summer, the staff continues to visit, inspect and treat any Giant Hogweed found at existing sites in Potter and McKean counties and in western Pennsylvania.

Staff will also verify sightings reported to the toll-free Giant Hogweed hotline at 1-877-464-9333. If confirmed, the sites will be added to next summer's treatment program.

Summer is the best time to identify Giant Hogweed, when the plants are in bloom with white clustered flowers more than two feet wide. The stems are two to four inches in diameter and are eight to 14 feet tall with purple blotches and coarse white hairs. The leaves are lobed, or segmented, and can grow to five feet across.

Since 1985, 477 Giant Hogweed sites have been confirmed in Pennsylvania. To date, 203 of these sites have been eradicated.

Giant Hogweed is spread naturally by seeds, which can be windblown and scattered or carried by water, which makes stream banks very susceptible to the weed.

The Department of Agriculture is the regulatory agency that treats Giant Hogweed and other federally designated noxious weeds. The department's programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Pennsylvania has also been supported by the Governor's Invasive Species Council of Pennsylvania, an inter-agency council to help develop and implement invasive species management plans for the Commonwealth.

For more information, visit Agriculture's Noxious Weed webpage or call 717-787-7204.