Hemlock, Poison hemlock
Conium maculatum
Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae
What it is like
Conium maculatum is a BIENNIAL growing to 2 m (6ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 2
Where it is found
Waste ground and in damp places, avoiding acid soils and heavy shade.
Europe, including Britain, from Norway and Finland south and east to N. Africa and Iran.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
Native in temperate regions of Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. Introduced and naturalised in Asia, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Leaves - cooked. Although toxic, plants found in the south of England are comparatively harmless and the leaves are used as a pot-herb. They can also be dried for later use. The toxic principle is said to be destroyed by thorough cooking or drying. Caution is advised, especially on the remarks about plants in southern England. See the notes above on toxicity.
Medicine
Rating: 2
Hemlock is a very poisonous plant that has a long history of medicinal use, though it is very rarely used in modern herbalism. It is a narcotic plant that sedates and relieves pain. The plant contains coniine, an extremely toxic substance that can also cause congenital defects. The whole plant is analgesic, antispasmodic, emetic, galactofuge and sedative. It is a traditional folk treatment for cancer and was formerly widely used internally in very small doses to treat a variety of complaints including tumours, epilepsy, whooping cough, rabies and as an antidote to strychnine poisoning. It is still used externally, usually in ointments and oils, in the treatment of mastitis, malignant tumours (especially breast cancer) anal fissure and haemorrhoids. The leaves and stems should be harvested when the first fruits are forming, since they are then at their most active medicinally. The fruits are gathered either when fully ripe, or before they turn from green to yellow, and are then dried. Because of the extremely toxic nature of this herb, it is seldom employed nowadays. Use with extreme caution and only under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. See also the notes above on toxicity. A homeopathic remedy is prepared from a tincture of the fresh plant, harvested when in flower. It is used for treating complaints such as dizziness, coughs, insomnia, exhaustion, arteriosclerosis and prostate problems.
Analgesic: Relieves pain.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.
Emetic: Induces vomiting.
Epilepsy: Used in the treatment of Epilepsy - a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures.
Galactofuge: Stops or reduces the flow of milk in a nursing mother.
Homeopathy: A plant used in homeopathic treatments.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Other
Rating: 0
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
A fairly common weed in Britain, it succeeds in most soils in sun or light shade and avoids acid soils in the wild. It prefers a damp rich soil. This is the plant that Socrates is said to have used to kill himself, though this is probably an error. It requires a large dose if it is to be lethal (this contradicts with the notes above on toxicity), and death from this plant can be very painful whilst Socrates is said to have died without pain. Another report says that poisonous doses cause paralysis, which starts at the feet and moves up the body. There is no pain, the mind remains clear and lucid until death, which is caused by asphyxia when paralysis reaches the chest. The whole plant has a foetid smell.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in situ as soon as it is ripe in the late summer. It usually germinates in the autumn.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
Habit: Biennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
A very poisonous plant, the toxins are especially concentrated in the seed. The stems contain up to 0.06% of the toxic alkaloids, the leaves between 0.03 and 0.8%, the flowers from 0.09 to 0.24% and the green fruit from 0.73 to 0.98%. The toxins, however, are very volatile and decompose readily, especially when the plant is dried or cooked. The toxins paralyse the respiratory nerves, causing death by suffocation. Children have been known to die after using the hollow stems as blowpipes. The poisonous nature of the plant varies considerably, with many people believing that the plant is less toxic when grown in cooler climates.
This plant can be weedy or invasive. Considered an invasive species in 12 U.S. states. Competes with pasture and crops and encroaches on native vegetation, while posing a serious health hazard to virtually all livestock, and humans.
Its other names
Local names
beaver poison; carrot-fern; fool's-parsley; hemlock; herb bennet; kecksies; kex; musquash root; poison parsley; spotted corobane; spotted-hemlock; spotted-parsley. Spanish: encaje cimarrón; panalillo; perejil de chucho; perejil de monte; zanahoria silvestre. French: cigue maculee; cigue tache; cigue tachetee; grande ciguë Chinese: du shen. Brazil: cicuta; funcho-selvagem. Germany: Gefleckter Schierling. Guatemala: perejil de chucho; perejil de monte. Italy: cicuta maggiore. Netherlands: gevlekte scheerling. Sweden: odört.