poison hemlock

Conium maculatum

Poison hemlock is a tall plant with pretty white flowers that can be found in some fields and along roadsides. It is very important to remember that this plant is not safe to touch or eat!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The poison hemlock has hollow stems marked with distinctive purple blotches, and finely divided, fern-like leaves. Its small white flowers grow in flat-topped clusters resembling tiny umbrellas.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderApialesFamilyApiaceaeGenusConium

poison hemlock

Interesting facts

Even touching poison hemlock can cause a rash or skin irritation for some sensitive people.

Its scientific name, Conium, means “whirl” or “dizzy” in Greek, describing its effect.

Socrates, a famous ancient Greek, was condemned to die by drinking poison hemlock.

This plant is often mistaken for edible wild carrots or parsley, which is very dangerous!

Special abilities

Poison hemlock produces potent alkaloids, helping it defend against almost all hungry animals that try to eat it.

Poison hemlock can rapidly grow and spread in disturbed soils, helping it quickly outcompete native plants for space.

Poison hemlock produces thousands of tiny seeds per plant, ensuring its successful reproduction and wide dispersal.

Measurements & details

Height: 100-300 cm
Spread: 50-100 cm
Flower Size: 0.2-0.5 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: Deadly
Lifecycle: Biennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

Visits flowers, but nectar can be toxic.

pollinates

house fly

Musca domestica

One of many generalist insect pollinators.

eats

willow-carrot aphid

Cavariella aegopodii

Specialized aphid feeds on its sap.

Traits

Spotted

Marked with spots or patches of a different color.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Biennial

Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.

Ancient Lineage

This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.