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Warning! This is an
invasive plant, which has the potential to aggressivley crowd out native species. Learn
more about invasive plants!
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
Image ID: mtr60
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Invasive
Family:
Apiaceae (Parsley)
Height: 3 to 6 ft.
Blooms: June to
August
Leaf Type:
divided
Bloom Size: 0.1 in. (typical)
Flower Description:
Flat or rounded clusters,
Regular blooms, 5 parts
Location: Montour Trail
Date: 6/1/2003
Notes:
Stem bears purple spots. Fern-like leaves. Highly toxic.
More photos of this flower
Poison Hemlock may be
easily confused with:
- Eastern Hemlock-Parsley
Poison hemlock has a very stout, spotted stem. Stem of hemlock-parsley is thin and green.
- Queen Anne's Lace
The hemlock has a smooth, thick stem, while Queen Anne's lace has a delicate, hairy stem.
- Spotted Cowbane
Cowbane has a divided leaf with lanceolate leaflets. Poison hemlock has a lacier, fern-like leaf.
- Sweet Cicely
Poison hemlock is much larger than sweet cicely, and the stout, spotted stem is quite distinctive.
We started out as wildflowers from the bicycle trails of western Pennsylvania, but we've
grown!
Meyer, Joseph E. (1918). The Herbalist and Herb Doctor. Hammond, Ind.: Indiana Herb Gardens. 400 pp.