This is how hemlock grows
The spot hemlock is a biennial plant, which with its spindle-shaped and whitish roots survives the first winter. With the help of the seeds, the umbelliferae spreads quickly.
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Occurrence
The species grows wild on ruderal areas such as fallow land and rubble sites or roadsides. Agricultural margins and beet fields are typical habitats, with many farmers eliminating the herb from their land because of its toxicity. These areas offer the plant optimal conditions, because it values deep soils with a high proportion of clay. As a nitrogen pointer, it grows where there are many nutrients available.
Poisonous effect
This species is one of the most poisonous wild plants in Germany. The active ingredient coniin is responsible for the highly toxic effect. A dose between 0.5 and 1.0 grams is fatal to an adult. The highest concentration of poison is found in the unripe and notched cleft fruits with the two-part stylus pad.
Symptoms
The poison works mainly in the nervous system. In the first stage, burning and stabbing feelings appear in the mouth and throat. Nausea and visual disturbances follow. As the disease progresses, cramps and paralysis of the muscles occur. The ability to speak and swallow decreases until it comes to fatal respiratory arrest when fully conscious.
Recognize hemlock
Poisoning occurs when different meadow herbs are mixed up, because Conium maculatum has non-toxic doppelgangers including meadow chervil and wild carrot. For the layman, the plant is easy to confuse with parsley. In addition to the growth characteristics, there are some typical features that clearly distinguish the poisonous umbellifer from similar-looking relatives.
Pay attention to this combination of features:
- The plant smells strongly of mouse urine
- The stem has red spots in the lower part
- Shoots are glabrous, hollow and ribbed lengthways
- blue frost is reminiscent of the ripening of ripe plums
Cultivation in the garden
The plant is not considered endangered in Germany and is on the pre-warning list in Berlin. Some specialist nurseries and seed dealers offer the spotted hemlock for planting or sowing in the garden bed. Nothing stands in the way of cultivation, as long as the outdoor area is not used by children or agricultural pastures are adjacent to the property. Here the herbaceous plant can quickly sow itself.
Expectations
Sowing is possible in autumn, because then the seeds benefit from the effects of the cold and germinate in the next spring. The umbellifers thrive without problems on normal subsoil with moist, nutritious and calcareous conditions. Once settled in a sunny spot, the perennial does not need any further attention. If you remove the withered inflorescence before the fruit ripens, you will prevent self-sowing.
