Yeah it is highly allelopathic meaning its roots poison other plants that try to grow near it. Maybe the worst invasive species in regions it has invaded.
"Why is giant hogweed dangerous? When combined with sunlight, sap from the plants can cause extreme skin irritation, temporary or permanent blindness, and scarring. Burns acquired from the plant can continue to cause painful blisters when exposed to sunlight for up to a decade. "
Yeah, when I first learned that, I decided that I'll stay far away from it if I ever see one. Afaik it can't hurt you unless its sap touches you, but I'm not taking chances if I don't have to
I saw this patch of dead ones and was hoping it was maybe sunflowers (I saw what looked like seeds nearby here), but now with the new sprouts was able to identify them (pretty sure).
I have just found an app called EDDMaps that let's you report invasive species so I'm going to do that next time I go back, and before they grow more out of control.