Poison Hemlock

Glenn Nice, Weed Diagnostician, Dept of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University

We have been getting many calls in the past few weeks regarding poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.), which is often confused with wild carrot (Daucus carota L.). Although these two plants may look similar, poison hemlock is toxic to cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, dogs, and people when ingested. The plant produces volatile alkaloids coniine (an alkaloid similar in effect to nicotine) and gamma-conicine. The easiest way to tell the two plants apart is that poison hemlock will have purple spots or blotches on its smooth (hairless) ridged stems. Wild carrot will usually have a covering of hairs.

Click here to view the full article on poison hemlock (pdf file).

Poison Hemlock Control in Corn and Soybean (pdf file)

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