A poisonous invasive plant that may be fatal if eaten grows over parks, flower beds, and private gardens, wreaking havoc.
Poison hemlock, which looks like Queen Anne's Lace, grows along highway right-of-ways, fences, and the margins of farm fields. However, in the last year, the plant introduced to the United States from Europe has moved closer to more populated regions, raising concerns among specialists.
"That movement is a little worrisome to me because this plant is highly poisonous, and it's more of a chance for kids to play with it and dogs to eat it," Indiana's Natural Resources Conservation Service's Dan Shaver said.
"This is not a plant you want in your yard or in your neighborhood park." According to the National Park Service, the toxic biennial may be found in virtually every state in the United States.
Hemlock Invasion Expansion
That's why, if there's any poison hemlock to be removed, Slack advises wearing gloves, long sleeves, and trousers, as well as eye protection.
While the sap can be hazardous, the actual risk comes from ingesting any part of the plant, including the stalk and stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, or roots.
With no antidote, hemlock poisoning can be deadly. In addition, toxic alkaloids found in all plant sections can interfere with nerve signals to your muscles, resulting in respiratory failure.
Trembling, salivation, pupil dilatation, muscular paralysis, and loss of speech are all indications of poisoning.
Symptoms can appear as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion, and the severity of the poisoning is determined by the amount consumed and the concentration of hemlock at the time. Even tiny quantities, though, might have significant consequences.
Slack stated, "None of this should enter your body."
Humans aren't the only ones that are affected. In meadows and fields where cattle eat it, or in a garden where a dog eats it, poison hemlock can be combined with innocuous plants.
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