3. Description
• Is the most poisonous
plant in North America.
• All parts are poisonous.
• The most poisonous
part is the roots.
• Grows 3 to 6 feet and
spreads to 3 feet.
4. Habitat and Range
• Typically a wetland
plant, common on
pastures or tilled areas
• Common in deep loam,
clay loam, or clay soils.
5. Life Cycle
• Biennial plant or takes
two years to complete
its biological lifecycle.
• Perennial plant which
persist for growing
seasons.
6. Reproduction
• It reproduce through
seeds.
• Dispersal of seeds are
the method of
reproduction.
• Dispersion is through
wind and water.
7. Defense Mechanism
• A toxin called cicutoxin,
a violent convulsant,
which acts as a
stimulant in the central
nervous system.
8. Defense Mechanism
• Can cause nausea,
vomiting, muscle
twitch, increased pulse,
excessive salivation or
frothing at the mouth,
and dilation of the
pupils, respiratory
paralysis when ingested
9. Ecosystem Connections
• The caterpillars of black
swallowtail butterflies
eat the leaves, however,
transfer the toxicity to
their own bodies;
predators learn not to
eat them.
10. Medicinal Uses
• When cut and dried,
losses much of its
poisonous properties.
• When it mixed betony
and fennel seed was
considered a cure for
the bite of a dog.
11. Medicinal Uses
• Used as a medicine for
migraine, headaches,
painful menstruation, and
worms in the intestines.
• Some people apply water
hemlock directly to
the skin for redness and
swelling (inflammation).
