Poison hemlock in my raised bed vegetable garden!!

[ca...@cmug.com]

I have Don and Lisa to thank for making me aware of what this plant looks like. We saw it last fall in a Corvallis park along the Willamette on a Neighborhood Naturalist walk. I am attaching pictures so you can tell me if I have identified it correctly. I was surprised to see this fern-like plant growing in the midst of some crimson clover cover crop in my vegetable raised bed. I would guess that these three plants got there by way of birds as they were only in one of the raised beds. I treated these plants with all due respect -- put on disposable rubber gloves and disinfected my little shovel afterwards. I put the three plants in paper bags and put them in the garbage can, not in the landscape materials bin. This was especially concerning because I have a dog. So .... this is what the plant that killed Socrates looks like and it could be growing somewhere near you.

  file://localhost/Users/clysek/Desktop/IMG_4154.JPG

file://localhost/Users/clysek/Desktop/IMG_4156.JPG

Carol Ann Lysek

Albany, Oregon

[ca...@cmug.com]

[Matt Blakeley-Smith]

Poison Hemlock can grow to be over 6 feet tall, so it was good that
you caught it while it was a seedling!

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[Joel Geier]

Unfortunately another good place to see poison hemlock has been at the North Trailhead of Luckiamute State Natural Area, where it was introduced when "fill" dirt was hauled in about 15 years ago, to build a berm to keep 4-wheelers from trashing the place. 

The berm was finally removed last fall, but by that time the plant had spread all along the access road, out to Buena Vista Rd, and into some of the riparian habitats as well. As Matt notes, the plant can grow well over 6 feet tall in rich soil. When it blooms, the smell is reminiscent of a stinky gym locker.

We expect to be dealing with poison hemlock as a weed at LSNA for years to come. I've pulled small numbers of plants with my bare hands without experiencing "Socratic symptoms" or any other noticeable effect, but gloves are certainly a good idea, especially if you plan to pull it in quantity.

Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis