It may seem innocuous, often confused with edible lookalikes, but this plant popping up in more places in North Carolina is deadly.
Poison Hemlock, a weed in the carrot family, is highly toxic and can be fatal to people, pets and livestock. The green plant can reach as high as 10 feet with white flowers that look like umbrellas, and it “quickly colonizes an area and displaces native plant species,” according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
All parts of the plant are poisonous, and it contains toxic alkaloids that can eventually kill a person through respiratory failure, according to Healthline.
Its scientific name is Conium maculatum and is sometimes be called Deadly Hemlock, Poison Fool’s Parsley, Poison Parsley and Spotted Parsley. It can sometimes be confused with Queen Anne’s lace and or a wild parsnip.
Most people likely won’t get a rash from touching it like poison ivy and poison oak, but some people do, and in rare instances, the toxins can enter the bloodstream through a cut or through a person’s eyes or nose.
Where is Poison Hemlock found?
Poison Hemlock is often found along roadsides, fences, stream banks and ditches. The leaves of the plant resemble parsley, and the stems are hollow and have small purple spots, according to the Cooperative Extension.
“It reproduces by seeds which are dispersed by animals, machinery and clothing and persist in the soil for years, making eradication difficult,” according to the Cooperative Extension.
It’s closely related to another deadly plant, cicuta maculata or Water Hemlock, which is native to North Carolina, while Poison Hemlock is native to Europe and the Mediterranean.
“(Water Hemlock) is the most poisonous one in North Carolina,” wrote Mart Baumgarner, an extension agent in Orange County. “All parts of the plant are poisonous. Ingestion can be fatal and cattle are most likely poisoned but it is known that horses, sheep and swine have been poisoned. This plant is said to be the plant that caused the death of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.”
Where has Poison Hemlock been found in NC?
The weed has been found in 29 counties, mostly in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Biodiversity Project and the North Carolina State Parks.
- Alamance
- Alleghany
- Anson
- Ashe
- Buncombe
- Cabarrus
- Catawba
- Cleveland
- Durham
- Franklin
- Guilford
- Halifax
- Haywood
- Henderson
- Iredell
- Lee
- Martin
- Mecklenburg
- Mitchell
- Orange
- Surry
- Stanley
- Pamlico
- Rowan
- Union
- Wake
- Wilkes
- Wilson
- Yancey
How does Poison Hemlock affect people?
There is no antidote, and eating the plant can cause severe symptoms within 15 minutes, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Some of the symptoms include:
- sweating
- vomiting
- dilated pupils
- excess salivation
- dry mouth
- rapid heart beat
- high blood pressure
- restlessness or confusion
- muscle weakness or twitches
- tremors and seizures
Extreme cases can lead to muscle paralysis, kidney failure and muscle death, among others.
How does Poison Hemlock affect pets?
Poison Hemlock is toxic to pets including dogs and cats, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Clinical signs of ingestion include agitation, tremors, drooling, diarrhea, paralysis and death.
How does Poison Hemlock affect livestock?
Eating Poison Hemlock is often fatal, with signs usually appearing an hour after an animal eats the plant, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Signs of poisoning include: trembling, rapid and weak pulse, lack of coordination, coma, respiratory paralysis and death, among others.
How to remove poison hemlock
People can use broad-spectrum herbicide like Glyphosate or a herbicide that’s designed to kill a particular plant like Dicamba, according to the Cooperative Extension.
The Cleaveland Clinic recommends wearing gloves, long-sleeves and a face mask to remove any of the plants, including to dig out the roots, and place the plants in a garbage bag to be thrown away.
This story was originally published August 7, 2026 at 1:17 PM with the headline “A deadly plant might be growing near your NC home. How to get rid of it.”
Anna Roman is a service journalism reporter for the News & Observer. She has previously covered city government, crime and business for newspapers across North Carolina and received many North Carolina Press Association awards, including first place for investigative reporting.
Anna Roman
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