Poison Hemlock

Poison hemlock(Conium maculate) is rapidly becoming a problem here in Kitsap County. This dainty weed almost goes unnoticed if it were not for its numerous flowers and tall gangly stocks. Slowly but surly this plant is gaining ground by the millions every year. This plant has a history of destruction, not only of ecological destruction but it can also destroy lives. In fact this is the plant that Socrates had to ingest for his death sentence and still today it holds its potent abilities to kill.

POISON HEMLOCK is a biennial herb growing 3 to 8 feet tall and has a smooth purple-spotted stem and triangular, finely divided leaves with bases that sheathe the stem. Fresh leaves and roots have a parsnip-like odor. The small but attractive white flowers, arranged in umbrella-like clusters, open in early summer. The fruit is tiny, flattened, and ridged. Underground is a fleshy, unbranched white taproot. Unlike wild carrot (Daucus carota, parsnip family), there are no hairs on the stems or leaves of poison-hemlock and no branching, feathery bracts beneath the flower clusters. These plants are commonly found along roadsides, edges of cultivated fields, railroad tracks, irrigation ditches, stream banks, and in waste areas.
Be on the look out for this weed as it spreads like wildfire. Take action and cut down this plant, put it in a trash bag and send it to the landfill. You can make a difference just by cutting down one plant with thousands of seeds. Do your part, don’t let this weed start to spread.