Ohio Has A Poison Plant Invasion!

A dangerous plant makes it mark in Ohio.

Ohio has an invasive plant called the poison hemlock. It is a highly poisonous plant and it could be deadly to human and pet if injested.

Conium maculatum is a highly poisonous flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae, native to Europe and North Africa. It is herbaceous without woody parts and has a biennial lifecycle. A hardy plant capable of living in a variety of environments, hemlock is widely naturalised in locations outside its native range, such as parts of Australia, West Asia, and North and South America, to which it has been introduced. It is capable of spreading and thereby becoming an invasive weed.

Hemlock will usually begin to bloom between June and August.

All parts of the plant are toxic, especially the seeds and roots, and especially when ingested. Under the right conditions the plant grows quite rapidly during the growing season and can reach heights of 2.4 metres (8 feet), with a long penetrating root. The plant has a distinctive odour usually considered unpleasant that carries with the wind. The hollow stems are usually spotted with a dark maroon colour and become dry and brown after completing its biennial lifecycle. The hollow stems of this toxic plant are deadly for up to three years after the plant has died.