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Spotted hemlock was identified in Cass <br />County in 2020 growing in hay mead- <br />ows and several road ditches. Spotted <br />hemlock is among the most poisonous <br />plants in North America. Hay producers <br />need to be aware of the plant and not <br />harvest any plants with the hay. One or <br />two plants can cause death of livestock. <br />Even handling the plant with bare hands <br />will cause severe illness. <br />Spotted hemlock (Poison hemlock) is <br />native to Eurasia. It was introduced into <br />North America as an ornamental but <br />escaped cultivation and has become <br />naturalized throughout much of the <br />United States and Canada. It is found <br />in roadsides, ditches, and waste areas <br />with soils that tend to be wet. Cattails <br />may grow alongside spotted hemlock. <br />Spotted hemlock also has been found <br />in drier soils and cropland. <br />Description: Spotted hemlock <br />is a member of the Apiaceae fam- <br />ily which includes wild carrot, wild <br />parsnip, dill, parsley, and water <br />hemlock. It is a biennial or pe- <br />rennial plant with smooth, hollow <br />branching stems with purple spots <br />especially near the base. The root <br />is a simple carrot-like taproot. It <br />has small 5-petaled flowers on an <br />umbrella-like cluster. The leaves <br />are delicate, like parsley, and have <br />a white taproot. The plant includ- <br />ing the root has a strong pungent <br />order (likened to mouse urine) <br />which makes the plant generally <br />unpalatable when fresh. The plant <br />can grow from 2 to 10 feet tall. <br />Spotted HemlockSpotted Hemlock <br />(Conium maculatum)(Conium maculatum)