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Poison Hemlock Invading the Hoosier State
By: Sheila McCrea - Thursday, August 5, 2021

UNDATED - There's an invasive weed that is found throughout Indiana that could be fatal in some cases to humans and animals.

It's called Poison Hemlock, and it is currently invading the state of Indiana. It's been around for years, but it is spreading into urban areas more and more.

Typically, you would spot these weeds near highway right-of-ways, along fences, and on the edges of farm fields. More recently, the weed has been showing up in public parks, flower beds, and backyard gardens.

Poison Hemlock has been spreading because each weed can produce up to 30,000 seeds. These seeds ripen between late Juan and August after it flowers. That means, it is prime time for these seeds to fall off and spread.

Poison Hemlock is a weed that looks similar to Queen Anne’s Lace and is the parsley and carrot family. One of the easiest ways to spot a Poison Hemlock and not confuse it with a weed like Queen Anne's Lace is by the purple spots all along the stalk.

The entire weed is poisonous, from the seeds and leaves to the sap.



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