Wild Forage

Poison hemlock

Conium maculatum

Deadly. Every part is poisonous. Often mistaken for wild carrot, parsley or other umbel plants.

Poison hemlock: Photo. Smooth stem with purple-red streaks at a leaf node — PhotoSmooth stem with purple-red streaks at a leaf nodePhoto: Mick Talbot from Lincoln (U.K.), England · CC BY 2.0 · source

Poison hemlock: Leaf — LeafPhoto: Sindupa De Silva · CC BY · source

Poison hemlock: Flower — FlowerPhoto: Nick Bédard · CC0 · source

Poison hemlock: Habitat — HabitatPhoto: John Brown · CC0 · source

Poison hemlock: Look-alike side by side. Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), a skin-irritant look-alike — Look-alike side by sideWild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), a skin-irritant look-alikePhoto: Michelle Campbell · CC0 · source

Key features

Smooth, hairless, hollow stem with purple-red blotches
Glossy, finely divided, fern-like leaves; musty 'mousy' odor when crushed
Umbrella-shaped clusters of tiny white flowers
Thick white taproot that looks like a parsnip

What it gets mistaken for

Wild parsnipSkin irritant
Yellow flowers and grooved stem; sap causes burns in sunlight.
Wild carrot (Queen Anne's lace)Harmless
Hairy stem without purple blotches, carrot smell, often a dark center floret.
Elderberry (before flowering)Harmless
Woody brown stem with rough bark and toothed compound leaflets. Hemlock's stem is smooth, hairless and blotched purple-red.
See the card →
YarrowHarmless
Also has feathery, fern-like leaves, so it gets confused with hemlock. Hemlock's stem is smooth, hairless and purple-blotched, with a musty smell when crushed.

Warnings

Do not forage from the carrot family (umbels) unless an expert has confirmed the ID.
Wear gloves when removing it and never burn it.
If eaten, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 immediately.

In season

Biennial: low fern-like rosette in year one, 4-8 ft flowering plant in year two.

Habitat

Roadsides, ditches, field edges, damp disturbed ground.

Educational reference only. Never eat a wild plant or mushroom based on a website or app. Confirm with an experienced forager, your local extension office, or a mycological club. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 for severe symptoms.