Misidentifying poison hemlock as an edible plant can be a costly mistake when out foraging

Poison hemlock grows just about everywhere & is in the same family as fennel, parsley, carrot, & more All parts of this plant are poisonous & toxic to humans

The best way to identify poison hemlock is by its stem — hairless, hollow, and almost always has distinctive purplish-red splotching or streaking

Poison hemlock has rounded clusters of 5 petal flowers that bloom in spring. Afterward, they form small green fruits with wavy ribs that contain highly poisonous seeds

Poison hemlock flowers grow on branched stalks that can be up to 8-10 feet high

The leave look like those of parsley & wild carrot — opposite and compound, hairless, lacy, and triangular in shape. When crushed they emit an unpleasant musty smell

Poison hemlock has many edible look-alikes, namely, wild carrot (Queen Anne's lace)

As well as, yarrow, (pictured here) angelica, cow parsnip, cow parsley, wild fennel, elderflower & more