"The Day of the Triffids" for real!

[alismith]

Well, almost. I was going to post this in the GD, but decided it would be better served posted here. After all, it does sound almost too "alien" to be real.

However, it's true. It seems certain parts of the NE have been invaded by a giant plant that can cause painful sores, scars, rashes, and even blindness, if touched. Right now, it seems to be located mostly in western NY state.

For pics and more info, check here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2011541/Giant-hogweed-cause-BLINDNESS-invades-New-York.html

Oh, by the way, if you like good SF reading, check out the book, "The Day of the Triffids," by John Wyndham. (Genetically engineered plants try to take over the world and the book chronicles the fights between humanity and them. It's a great EOTWAWKI story.)

[Schuetzenman]

Where's my Roud UP!

[old Grump]

Isn't just New York, we have it in northern Wisconsin and it's little brother, wild parsley is all over the state. Kids pick it because when its flowering its a pretty plant and then it burns like fire.

A friend of mine about 30 miles north of Montreal found Giant Hogweed on their property. Her husband is just regular people and didn't think anything about it, she is a tree hugging bunny lover in tune with the earth spirits kind of gal and she was thrilled till she found out what it was and what it could do to her and her big brood of kids. Funny to see her at war with a plant 2' taller than she is, It's one nasty S.O.B. plant.

[Bluntforce]

BBC did a remake of Day of the Trifids in 2009. I watched it online, it was very good. Enviro-idiot did a terrorist attack on the facility where they were raised and freed them. This version went into greater detail than the original movie about what the Trifids were and why they were cultivating such a dangerous animal/plant/what the hell. (28 Day Later was basically a rip-off of DotT, the walk-around deserted London was a conscious homage to DotT)