WARNING: Don’t Touch This Horrific Plant That Can Burn and Blind You

Imagine you're in the kitchen getting dinner ready for the fam', it's a comfortable summer day and the kids have been playing outside all day, splashing in the pool, riding bikes to the park and...awwww, they even picked you some flowers.

They're beautiful, almost like baby's breath with their clusters of white flower buds and luscious; green leaves.

You're first instinct is to put them in water right away, you don't want to let on that you know that these really aren't flowers, it's just a giant weed; but they don't know that.

What they also don't know, and you might not know this either, is that those "flowers" are actually a toxic plant that can cause third degree burns and blindness.

According to WGN, the Giant Hogweed primarily grows in the Eastern part of the country in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, but it has the potential to spread.

Oddly enough, I've actually seen these growing in Minnesota; when I was a kid I always thought they were just wildflowers.

Have you spotted any in Illinois? If you do, you extreme caution when coming in contact with one. The sap can lead to extreme blistering and blindness if it comes in contact with your eyes.

If you happen to come in contact with the Giant Hogweed, you should report the sighting here.

Bonus Video