Poison Hemlock is a dangerous, highly poisonous plant with a long history of use in medicine, witchcraft, and poisoning. Its scientific name is Conium maculatum, native to Europe and North Africa.
Poison Hemlock bears tall, upright stems with white umbrella-shaped clusters of tiny flowers. The flowers smell sweet, but all parts of the plant are toxic.
The plant is toxic during both its vegetative and flowering phases. Within 15 minutes of ingesting it, poisoning symptoms may occur, including nausea, vomiting, convulsions, and death.
The active toxins in Poison Hemlock are coniine, N-methyl coniine, conhydrine, and gamma-conceive. These toxins interfere with neuromuscular transmission, leading to paralysis and death.
Poison Hemlock reproduces through wind-dispersed seeds; its tall stems can reach up to 8 feet tall.
The toxins in Poison Hemlock can easily contaminate the water and soil around it, and the plant is known to be resistant to treatments applied to eradicate it.
Poison Hemlock is easily confused with Queen Anne's Lace, an innocuous plant often cultivated as a garden vegetable. Even brushing against Poison Hemlock may cause skin irritation.
Poison Hemlock's leaves are similar in shape to parsley, but the veins in its leaves are reddish-purple, which is a clue to its deadly nature.
Historically, Poison Hemlock has been used as a natural alternative to anesthesia, a component of fish poisons, and a potion for suicide.
During the time of the Ancient Greeks, Poison Hemlock was used to execute the philosopher Socrates.
Poison Hemlock is highly toxic to livestock, including horses, pigs, and goats. Livestock affected by Poison Hemlock experience rapid dehydration and extreme weakness, which can be fatal.
