What happens if i touch hemlock

It is a common misconception that poison hemlock sap will cause skin rashes and blisters. In fact, poison hemlock toxins must be ingested or enter through the eyes, cuts, or other openings to cause poisoning.

Poison hemlock is a biennial weed. It spends the first year as a basal rosette and the second year as an erect, towering flowering plant that can measure ' tall. Despite its common name, poison hemlock is not a tree; it is a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae formerly Umbelliferae. Wild parsnip is notorious for containing sap loaded with furanocoumarins that produce a light-linked condition called phytophotodermatitis in humans and livestock. If plant juices contact skin and the skin is then exposed to sunlight specifically ultraviolet light , severe blistering can occur, as well as skin discoloration that may last several months.

Hemlock typically grows in the spring, but in some locations it can grow as year-round. Hemlock poisoning occurs after ingesting any part of the plant, such as the seeds, flowers, leaves, or fruits. All parts of this plant contain toxic alkaloids that can be fatal even in small amounts. The alkaloids can affect nerve impulse transmission to your muscles, eventually killing you through respiratory failure. Even touching this plant may cause a skin reaction in some people.

To date, there is no antidote. The leaves are particularly poisonous in the spring, up until it produces flowers. The roots of poison hemlock can easily be mistaken for wild parsnips, while the leaves can be mistaken for parsley. This is the primary culprit for accidental poisoning. Poison hemlock is often found on roadsides, in waste areas and near fences.

It can be mixed in with harmless plants in pastures and crops, making this plant particularly dangerous to livestock. However, its unpleasant, musty odor usually causes animals to avoid it unless there is no other foliage or feed available to eat. Symptoms of hemlock poisoning can appear anywhere between 30 minutes to hours after ingesting the plant.

The severity of your symptoms greatly depends on how much of the plant is in your system and the toxicity of the plant at its time of growth.

In more severe cases, ingesting this plant can cause serious health issues. Complications from hemlock poisoning include:. If you begin to experience any adverse reactions after touching, tasting, or eating a poison hemlock plant, seek immediate medical attention.

To date, there is no antidote for hemlock poisoning. Treatment depends on the severity of your condition and your symptoms. Your doctor will also try to decontaminate your gastrointestinal tract in order to remove the hemlock from your system. If you begin to experience seizures , you may be treated with antiseizure medication to lessen symptoms.

You may also be treated with fluids intravenously to prevent dehydration and restore nutrient levels. Removing this plant is the primary method of prevention. Experts recommend digging out small patches to remove them, being sure to remove the root. Telltale characteristics are purple spots on a smooth, hairless, hollow stem 2 to 12 feet tall and a musty smell some liken to mouse urine. Unrelated to hemlock trees, poison-hemlock spends its first year as a rosette of glossy, fernlike leaves.

In this stage, its stem may or may not show purple. In spring its second year, it produces many umbrella-shaped clusters of white flowers, which develop into ridged seeds. In contrast, wild carrot Daucus carota has one dense flower cluster on a narrow, hairy stem, sometimes with one purple flower in the center, and is usually 3 feet tall or less. Poison-hemlock is a Class B noxious invasive weed. Its control is required in some counties in Washington, but removal is recommended everywhere to prevent accidental poisonings and to keep it from spreading onto other properties.

Remove small patches by digging, making sure to remove the taproot. For larger patches, herbicides containing glyphosate can be effective, especially when the plant is a rosette in the spring.