Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium)

Posted by Illuci (Hurdegaryp, Netherlands) on 31 August 2007 in Plant & Nature and Portfolio.

In June, six weeks ago I posted a picture of the plant of which you see the seeds here. Astonishing how from a 0,5 cm big seed a plant can grow of 3 meters long in just a couple of weeks! Now the long stems are dying, the leaves are still green to collect energy for the new growth coming spring.

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Comments (8)

Soph from Enghien, Belgium

Superbe! C'est une berce géante. C'est une plante dont la sève peut être toxique pour la peau si la peau est exposée au soleil encore une semaine après le contact avec la plante.
J'ai toujours eu envie de prendre en photo ce genre de plante sans jamais trouver un bon angle, à part pour cette photo là.. et encore, c'était une petite.
J'adore ta photo, c'est une silhouette mais aucun endroit n'est bouché ou trop noir. Excellente exposition, j'aime bien toutes ces tiges qui vont dans tous les sens!

31 Aug 2007 5:57am

Manuela Photography from Hainburg, Germany

Excellent composition and framing! Love it.

31 Aug 2007 7:17am

@Manuela Photography: Thank you, It took me many shots before I got one or two acceptable ones.

Erik from Hurdegaryp, Netherlands

Merci bien, Soph! Moi aussi, j'ai pris beaucoup de photos de cette plante, én réalité elle est très spectaculaire, mais c'est difficile de capturer ce spectacle dans une photo comme j'ai eprouvé. Trop beaucoup de chaos. Entre tant de de photos il y a une ou deux qui te plaisent.

31 Aug 2007 7:29am

Wolfgang Prigge from Canada

For your last couple of postings the sky has been an important element, just as in this one, even though here the sky is more or less monochrome. I remember using the stems of these plants as a blowpipe when I was a little boy. My older sister was my favorite target....

31 Aug 2007 12:58pm

Rabbit from Richmond, United States

love the shot from underneath - i thought i was looking up at dandy lions ;)

31 Aug 2007 1:10pm

@Rabbit: It must have been a disappointment for I know how rabbits love dandy lions :) ! Anyway, thanks for the visit and next time I 'll be more hospitable :D.

Lost Valley from Canada

I really like looking up at the plant! Very interesting story behind it all!! I love the composition of this!!

31 Aug 2007 4:25pm

Seraphine from San Francisco, United States

Beautifully done. The angle from below is terrific.

31 Aug 2007 9:25pm

@Seraphine: Thanks Seraphine; because the pant is so high, the only worthwhile pictures can be taken from this angle, otherwise it's too chaotic.

badala from Leiria, Portugal

I like the silhouette!

31 Aug 2007 11:33pm

@badala: Thanks, badala, please have also a look at my picture two days after this one of the same plant, for a still nicer silhouette.

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