Water Hemlock

Native distribution

Native to the Finger Lakes Region

Cultivation

A 3-6' tall plant with compound serrated leaves, a purple stem, and umbels of white carrot-like flowers. Light: part sun to sun Moisture and Soil: moist to wet soil

Propagation

Seed Treatment and Storage: best planted outdoors in fall

Biocultural value

Native Americans recognized spotted water hemlock's virulent properties and used it as a poison, insecticide, and disinfectant. The Haudenosaunee, Shoshoni, and Paiute used a decoction of the plant as an orthopedic aid for bruises, sprains, sore joints, and broken bones and to "deaden muscular pain." Cherokee women used the root as a permanent contraceptive.

Wildlife value

The flowers' exposed nectaries primarily attract insects with short mouthparts. These floral visitors include leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.), Halictid bees, cuckoo bees (Sphecodes spp.), plasterer bees (Colletes spp.), masked bees (Hylaeus spp.), Sphecid wasps, Vespid wasps, Tiphiid wasps, spider wasps (Pompilidae), velvet ants (Mutillidae), cuckoo wasps (Chrysididae), Eucoilid wasps, Braconid wasps, soldier flies (Stratiomyidae), Syrphid flies, thick-headed flies (Conopidae), Tachinid flies, flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), Muscid flies, and several beetles. Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) larvae feed on the foliage while the larvae of a moth, Epermenia cicutaella, feed on the flowers and immature fruits. Several aphids can be found on the plant, including carrot-willow aphid (Cavariella aegopodii), parsnip-willow aphid (Cavariella pastinacae), and honeysuckle-fennel aphid (Hyadaphis foeniculi). Other insect feeders include the weevel Apion pensylvanicum, carrot plant bug (Orthops scutellatus), atlantic grasshopper (Paroxyna atlantica), and olive-green swamp grasshopper (Paroxyna clavuliger).

Poisonous

yes

Poisonous description

Water hemlock contains a highly poisonous compound, cicutoxin, that is found primarily in the fleshy, tuberous roots and to a lesser extent in the above-ground parts of the plant. Cicutoxin acts directly on the central nervous system. Symptoms appear within 15 minutes to an hour and include violent convulsions, acute stomach pains, dilated pupils, elevated temperature, diarrhea, delirium, and death. One mouthful of the root is sufficient to kill an adult.

Location

Mundy Wildflower Garden, McLean Bogs, Eames Bog, Salt Road Fen, South Hill Swamp, Purvis Road Wetlands Natural Area

Status

L4|S5|G5