Heracleum is a genus of biennial and perennial herbs in the carrot family Apiaceae.

Common names for the genus or its species include hogweed[2] and cow parsnip.

[4] It derives from the Ancient Greek Ἡράκλειος (Hērákleios) "of Heracles", referring to the mythological hero.

[7][8] The morphological similarity of species within the genus Heracleum and the difficulty of botanical identification has led to numerous synonyms and naming issues.

[10][11][12] At least 36 species of the genus Heracleum have been reported to contain furanocoumarin,[13] a chemical compound that sensitizes human skin to sunlight.