Alien Plant Species (2 of 2) (IMAGE) Helmholtz Association Caption The giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) can grow up to 4 m high. It can cause third-degree burns because of the extremely aggressive sap inside the plant. The plant originally comes from Caucasus. In the 19th century it was introduced to Central Europe as an ornamental plant. Credit Photo: André Künzelmann/UFZ Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.