Hemlock poisoning can occur if you accidentally ingest poison hemlock. Symptoms can range from vomiting to seizures to respiratory failure. There’s no antidote for hemlock poisoning. Your healthcare provider will treat your symptoms, but the condition can be fatal. You can prevent hemlock poisoning by getting rid of any hemlock plants in your yard.
What is poison hemlock?
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is a highly toxic plant that’s a member of the carrot family. It’s commonly mistaken for wild carrot, wild parsnip or wild parsley. This can lead you to accidentally eat it (ingestion). Every part of the hemlock plant is poisonous, including the seeds, root, stem, leaves and fruit. It can be fatal if ingested. Ancient Greeks used poison hemlock to execute criminals or political prisoners. The most famous example of this is the execution of Socrates.
Poison hemlock resembles Queen Anne’s lace. Settlers brought the pretty plant to the United States from Europe as a garden plant. Today, it grows throughout every region of the U.S. It grows along fences, roadsides and ditches, and in marshes, meadows and other low-lying areas. If you have eaten this poisonous plant, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Hemlock poisoning can cause severe symptoms within 15 minutes of ingestion.
What does poison hemlock look like?
Poison hemlock identification can be difficult because it resembles other plants. The plant has a white root and a hollow stem with purple splotches. Hemlock can grow 2 to 10 feet tall. It has small, white flowers with petals that grow in an umbrella-shaped cluster. Each flower develops into a green, ribbed fruit that contains seeds. After it matures, the fruit turns grayish-brown. The delicate leaves of the plant look like parsley.
Is hemlock poisonous to the touch?
Poison hemlock isn’t like poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac. You usually won’t get a rash from touching it. Most of the time, hemlock is only poisonous if ingested. However, you should still be careful when handling poison hemlock. In people with sensitive skin, dermatitis can develop. In very rare instances, hemlock poisoning can occur after the toxins enter your bloodstream. They can enter your bloodstream through a cut or through your eyes or nose (mucus membranes).
