Heracleum mantegazzianum
giant hogweed
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed) is a California herb in the Apiaceae family.
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Identification and appearance
Key characters: Differentiators are not available at this time.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Angelica: Heracleum has dramatically enlarged outer petals creating irregular flower clusters; Angelica has uniform petals.; vs Conium: Heracleum has white stems and enlarged outer petals; Conium has purple-spotted stems and uniform petals.; vs Petasites: Heracleum has compound leaves and umbrella flower clusters; Petasites has simple round leaves and daisy-like flowers.; vs Acanthus: Heracleum has umbrella-shaped flower clusters; Acanthus has tall spikes of hooded flowers.; vs Anthriscus: Heracleum is massive (3-10 feet) with enlarged outer petals; Anthriscus is smaller with uniform petals.
Frequently asked questions
What plant family does Heracleum mantegazzianum belong to?
Heracleum mantegazzianum is in the Apiaceae family, genus Heracleum.
Is Heracleum mantegazzianum invasive in California?
Heracleum mantegazzianum is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.