Plant family: Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is in the carrot or Umbelliferae family and the leaves and foliage resemble carrot and parsley.
Look-alikes: Wild carrot (also called Queen Anne’s lace), wild parsnip, spotted water hemlock, and purple-stemmed angelica can sometimes be confused with poison hemlock because they are in the same family and have some similar features. Cow parsnip and giant hogweed are also in the same family; however, they are much larger in stature and should not be easily mistaken with poison hemlock.
Lifecycle: Poison hemlock germinates from seed and is a biennial plant with a basal rosette of leaves during its first year. Once it overwinters, in late April/early May, it bolts into an erect branched plant producing prominent white flowers in an umbel generally in June and July. It sets and drops seeds soon after. This weed only reproduces by seed and its taproot dies as the main plant desiccates.
Vegetative stage of poison hemlock. Note purple blotches on the main stem. Source: D. Lingenfelter, Penn State Weed Science images.
Characteristics: In addition to its fern-like, glossy green, lacy leaves, the plant has a hairless, hollow main steam with purple blotches/spots which branches. Its large flower structures are composed of many smaller white flowers. Plants typically grow 2 to 6 feet tall and have a parsnip-like odor when the leaves are crushed.
Poison hemlock at flowering. Source: D. Lingenfelter, Penn State Weed Science images
Poisonous traits: The sap can cause dermatitis (skin irritation) on some people. So be sure to wear protective clothing and gloves when handling the plant or when weed-whacking. It is poisonous when ingested by humans and livestock. The plant contains several closely related pyridine alkaloids with the main one being coniine, a colorless, volatile, and strongly alkaline oil. All parts of the plant are poisonous, and some studies have shown toxicosis at 0.25% fresh wt. (of the animal’s weight) for horses and 0.5% for cattle. That would be 2.5 to 5 lb. of material per 1000 lb. animal. Mature seeds are the most poisonous. Significant poisoning can result in muscle paralysis and suffocation.
Habitat: It grows along roadsides and in no-till fields, fencerows, pastures, fallow areas, and waterways.
Control: Individual plants can be easily dug out with a shovel. Larger infestations can be cut with a mower or string trimmer or may require the use of a herbicide. Several herbicides are effective for control. Herbicide applications are most effective when they are sprayed in the fall when poison hemlock is in the rosette stage or before it bolts in the spring. Effective herbicides include 2,4-D + dicamba, Crossbow (2,4-D+triclopyr), or glyphosate as a spot treatment.
Other interesting facts: Poison hemlock is native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia and was introduced to North America as an ornamental garden plant. In the annals of history, it was noted that the Greek philosopher Socrates chose to drink poison hemlock tea for his execution.
Pa. Loses Nearly 50 Percent Of Honey Bee Colonies
in Go Gardening and Nature
Posted
Save the bees: Pa. loses nearly 50 percent of honey bee colonies
by: Alexis Loya
Posted: / Updated:SUBSCRIBE NOW
Breaking N
(WTAJ) — Bee Informed Partnership released their 15th annual survey results that showed the loss of honey bee colonies, however, they also offered ways to help save the bees.
Bee Informed Partnership is a nonprofit that works with beekeepers to improve honey bee colony health and survivorship across the U.S., according to their website. The 15th annual preliminary report over the losses of honey bee colony rates was surveyed from April 2020 to April 2021.
Survey results
Pennsylvania beekeepers have lost 41.2 percent of their managed honey bee colonies, according to the report. It also states that the entire U.S. lost 45.5 percent of honey bees annually. The largest loss comes from Iowa, which lost 58.4 percent.
During the span of summer, April 2020 to October 2020, beekeepers in the U.S. lost around 31.1 percent of managed bee conies, which is slightly lower than last year’s estimated summer colony loss.
During the span of winter, October 2020, to April 2021, a total of 32.2 percent of honey bee colonies in the U.S. were lost. This is a 9.6 percentage point increase over the previous winter loss rate.
However, the report mentions that these numbers are subject to change as the final report is still being prepared.
For more information regarding colony losses, you can visit the Bee Informed Partnership interactive map. The map allows you to compare 2020-21 annual, summer and winter reports as well as data from previous years.
Saving the bees
Honey bees pollinate flowers of fruits, vegetables and nuts that are grown and consumed, making them a critically important species for agricultural and plant ecosystems, the website states. Some factors that threaten honey bees include poor nutrition due to land-use change, pesticide exposure and introduced pests and diseases.
To help save the bees, the general public can reduce herbicide, fungicide and insecticide use. Additionally, they can plant pollen and nectar-rich plants, shrubs and trees that flower at different times so that the blooms are present spring to fall.
For more information on bees, head to the FAQ on the Bee Informed Partnership website.