A new council charged with addressing the threat of invasive plants in Ohio might have found the perfect villain to illustrate its cause: giant hogweed.

The plant — which can reach 6 feet and cause caustic burns to the skin — has invaded Ashtabula County in northeastern Ohio. Giant hogweed is so insidious that no one wants it, making the plant a perfect topic for an upcoming meeting of the Ohio Invasive Plants Council.

The new nonprofit corporation was formed to stem the threat of invasive plants — non-native species that grow so aggressively that they choke out indigenous plants.

Many invasive plants were introduced as garden specimens or to control erosion; they since have spread unchecked by pest or disease.

The Ohio Invasive Plants Council represents 50 agencies and organizations, including several universities; the Ohio Department of Natural Resources; the Nature Conservancy; and the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association.

The group aims to educate people that certain plants growing in their back yards are putting the environment at risk; hogweed, after all, was introduced in the United States as an ornamental plant. But when it comes to landscape plants, not everyone agrees which ones pose a threat.

Historically, groups such as those on the council have butted heads over the issue.

‘‘In the past, there has been some animosity between the natural-areas community and the green industry," said Eddie Dengg, president of the council. ‘‘A lot of that is miscommunication rather than true antagonism."

The group formed in response to those differences and because it was unclear which state agencies had authority to deal with invasive plants, said Jennifer Windus, a program coordinator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources who helped establish the council. The group has met informally since the mid-1990s and became incorporated in July.

Sticking points never involve a plant such as giant hogweed, which nurseries would not sell. Rather, disagreements occur over plants such as barberries, which have been banned in any form in parts of New England.

‘‘That’s where the nursery industry kind of gets stung," said council board member Kyle Natorp, a Cincinnati nursery owner.

Certain barberry varieties are land- scape staples; Natorp and others say those are not invasive and should not be blacklisted.

"We want to work together (on the council) because we also agree invasive plants are not good for the environment," Natorp said. "But we want to make sure there’s sound science behind it."

In other states, groups similar to the council have proved more effective than single agencies in reaching a consensus on such issues, Windus said.

"This council is so critical because it bridges the gap between the general public, the various agencies and the organizations who feel strongly about this," she said. "But it isn’t putting the ball in any one court."

A major thrust of the group will be to compile and stimulate research as well as develop more effective methods to control invasive plants. Researchers are studying species most likely to invade Ohio next and which habitats are most susceptible, said Brian McCarthy, a board member and plant biologist at Ohio University.

McCarthy said a few invasive plants probably will come off the market in Ohio.

"I think that will be the only thing that will slow down the dispersal and spread of some of these species. But I don’t ever see this as a problem for consumers at all, because there’s always a whole host of substitutes that you can use."

The council has no legal authority to institute a plant ban, but it can recommend that the state do so.

Windus hopes that by educating the public, the group can avoid seeking bans of plants.

"In the long run, if you want to avoid legislation, which is definitely what we want to do, . . . then we have to bring it down to the level that people can understand."

Windus, who leads the council’s education and outreach subgroup, said it could consider working with nurseries to label some plants as invasive. A similar voluntary system in Missouri allows buyers to make informed choices, she said.

"We haven’t done a very good job in telling (the Ohio public) about this issue," she said. "If you gave them the choice: Here’s purple loosestrife and here’s spiked blazing star. Here’s some of the problems associated with purple loosestrife. You pick.

"I bet you’d be surprised how many people would buy" the noninvasive plant.