(Image source from: Evening Telegraph)

Giant hogweed, a toxic plant that can cause third degree burns to the skin and lead to blindness, has been found in six sites around Blowing Rock, according to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

The fast-growing plant was revealed in North Carolina in 2010 and is only found in Watauga County in North Carolina.

The sap from its leaves is poisonous and causes terrible burns to the skin, even blindness. The deadly chemicals found in the sap, known as photosensitizing furanocoumarins, respond with a person's skin when exposed to light.

The bodily process cause agonized blisters that can form within 48 hours and consequently in scars that last anywhere from a few months to six years.

The weed is called elephantine for nothing. It can grow up to 15 feet tall and sprout tremendous leaves and flower clusters. The difficulty is it looks pretty, which is why Europeans brought it over from Asia to exhibit in their gardens.

The toxic plant can as well be found in different cities according to the Department of Ecological Conservation including, Pennsylvania, New York City, Maryland, Oregon, Michigan, Washington, Vermont, Virginia, New Hampshire, Parts of Virginia, and Maine.

By Sowmya Sangam