NEW HAVEN, Ind. (WPTA21) - The city of New Haven has put out a warning about an invasive weed becoming more prevalent in our area that can pose a danger of making you really sick.
You don't want to ingest poison hemlock or even touch the plant without protective gloves on.
Poison hemlock, which is native to Europe and parts of North Africa, is one of the deadliest plants now found in North America and for at least five years it has been getting a stronger foothold in northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana.
All parts of the plant are poisonous: the leaves, stems, seed and roots.
The toxins must be ingested or enter through the eyes or nasal passages to cause poisoning, but you don't want to handle the weed with your bare hands either, because then there's the risk that you take those toxins in by rubbing your eyes or by handling food you eat with unwashed hands.
The mature plants produce a white flower and can stand six to ten feet tall.
The city of New Haven has put out a warning about poison hemlock on its Facebook page, and also is alerting folks to be wary of similar plants known as wild parsnip and hogweed, which pose additional threats.
"Poison Hemlock, you have to ingest it to actually have a reaction to it. The other ones, it's the sap, and the wax on the leaves that actually you have a reaction to, similar to poison ivy but much, much worse. It's almost like a second degree burn, so you don't want to weed whack it, you don't want to burn it, you just want to spray it, kill it, then get rid of it," said David Jones, the New Haven Utility Superintendent.
The city of Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department has been monitoring the spread of poison hemlock for some time now on its grounds, using typical herbicides to eradicate it.
David Jones says the hemlock and related weeds like to grow in moist areas, so you tend to find them along riverbanks, drainage ditches or in certain low-lying wooded areas.
If you encounter poison hemlock on your property, you can spray the plants with common herbicides found at home improvement stores.
You can also pull them up and dispose of them, provided you wear protective gloves.
If you spot poison hemlock growing on public property in the city of New Haven, city officials there urge you to contact them at 748-7056.
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June 30, 2021 at 06:07AM
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New Haven officials alert residents about threat of poison hemlock - wpta21.com
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