Return of the Giant Hogweed - contradiction

I suppose I should have noticed this before after 50 odd years of listening to this song, but I've just realised that one hand Peter is saying -They are defenceless
They all need the sun to photosensitize their venom"Still they're immune to all our herbicidal battering"

Good point. BTW have you noticed the phrase "Mighty Hogweed is avenged, human bodies soon will know our anger..." and so on, was, like, recorded using varispeed to achieve a deeper voice?

As far as im aware the song is a satire based on 'Day of the Triffids' but using the (actually very current) concern of the times (Victorian then again in the 60's/early 70's) regarding 'foreign' introductions of plants which might 'escape' our gardens and take over the countryside.. Giant Hogweed hasn't proven to be quite as 'invasive' as Japanese Knotweed or Himalayan Balsam but it does have some herbicidal resistance and though it tends to be monocarpic it produces a lot of viable seed. Like many of the larger umbellifers (including Hemlock and even Parsnip foliage) it has chemicals in its sap which if in contact with the skin, can cause severe blisters and burns when exposed to sunlight.

I always thought "strike by night..." was the plan of how they thought they could defeat the hogweed, but then when they try to do that they are surprised to find "still they're invincible..."

Cosmiclawnmower wrote: Easy Money wrote: ^ Just try taking out an infestation of kudzu. Yep.. its not something we have to deal with in the UK but i can see its no laughing matter..

I know of at least two towns near here that are covered in the stuff, Helena Arkansas and Tupelo Mississippi. It covers everything in its path in a thick green blanket, trees, billboards, abandoned vehicles, abandoned buildings etc. It erodes soil and creates disasters. Helena imported it from China thinking it looked nice. They can't get rid of it now.

The question in my mind is why nobody on this forum uses Giant Progweed as a handle.

chopper wrote: JD wrote: The verse with the 'Strike at night' line is yet another villager's theory as to how to kill them, but as previously stated...'they are invincible'. Yeah, that makes sense but where did the theory about them being defenceless at night come from? Surely one of the aforementioned villagers tried this out?

chopper wrote: JD wrote: The verse with the 'Strike at night' line is yet another villager's theory as to how to kill them, but as previously stated...'they are invincible'. Yeah, that makes sense but where did the theory about them being defenceless at night come from? Surely one of the aforementioned villagers tried this out?

Science?

chopper wrote: JD wrote: chopper wrote: JD wrote: The verse with the 'Strike at night' line is yet another villager's theory as to how to kill them, but as previously stated...'they are invincible'. Yeah, that makes sense but where did the theory about them being defenceless at night come from? Surely one of the aforementioned villagers tried this out? Science? Hang on, you said these villagers were thick as sh*t.

Ok, I was being a little hyperbolic, but even idiots know plants need light to survive. At least one of them mentions photosynthesis so...

The Hogweed are strongest during the day, when they recharge and strengthen themselves by sun and photosynthesis.

Edited by Boojieboy - January 24 2022 at 16:17