Hemlock!!! EEK- how to dispose of it?

[SirVixofVixHall]

I think I have Hemlock in my garden. I find all the different umbells rather confusing but it does look like it, and it smells like aniseed. I have in the past happily chopped it down and chucked it on the compost, having no idea what it was, but a friend is helping with the garden and suggested it could be hemlock. Having a quick look online it says the stems remain toxic for three years, and the roots are the most poisonous part. I have a dog who eats anything, and hens who forage, so I want to remove it carefully and have no idea how to then safely dispose of it so that it poses no risk to humans or wildlife. Can I bag it and bin it?

I think it might be hedge parsely as well given the height of it although the leaves are very 'pignut' . Bliddy confusing plant...only one way to be certain and that is to dig up the root to see if it is like a little chestnutty type thing on The end. Look up pignuts to see although you may be confronted with photos of boars knackers as I was

Looking at the pictures of pignut ( as opposed to pig's nuts) my plant does seem too big, both in height and leaf size to be pignut. I'll go and google hedge parsley now...

Google seems to suggest that hedge parsely has hairy stems, whereas my plant's stems are smooth and hairless, but slightly ribbed in places.

Are they absolutely smooth, Vix, or do they have a kind of downy growth on them when you look really closely.

The problem with hairiness and plants is that 'hairy' can mean anything from the daintiest down to massive porcupine style hairs!! In this group, cow parsley has really dainty hairs and rough chervil really thick and noticeable ones, like unshaved legs!!!

Here's a closeup of hedge parsley stems- they have just a very fine down.

Will trot out to the garden and check again, but I think they are totally hairless. Looked at lots of hemlock leaf pics online last night (Like a secret poisoner!!!) and they look different I think, but if it isn't hemlock then waht on earth is it?

Here is another close up. We cut a stem, DH says it smells acrid and pungent but I was too scared to sniff it in case I shoved it up my nose . Stems are hairless, but somewhat ribbed. The leaf form looks less fern like than hemlock to me, but that's just going by online pics. I can only post one pic until this evening, so I've tried to choose the one that covers leaf and stem shape. It isn't hollow at all when cut, but we didn't cut it right at the bottom, we cut a branching stem.

Could it be hemlock water dropwort? That is even more poisonous than hemlock. I'm really freaked out now!

Goodness me, do you know, I think it just might be a water dropwort (oenanthe) of some kind. I don't know if it's hemlock water dropwort, though - there are several kinds. It likes really wet conditions - is it in a boggy area or by a stream or something?

The hairless, solid stem thing is a clue, if you're absolutely sure that it's not hollow then that should be a relief because Hemlock water dropwort has hollow stems so that would rule out the most poisonous of the species.

I'm looking at Stace's big flora now and O. pimpinelloides (common in southern Britain) and O. lachenalii both have solid stems. Have a look at this: www.bsbi.org.uk/Oenanthe_Crib.pdf Both only grow up to 1m tall.

I would post this on a site with more experts who might be able to help!!

It is a boggy area, about a metre from a stream. Yes. The leaves slightly remind me of coriander actually. I've just sent a few pics to a botanist I know, I was googling umbels when I came accross the dropwort pictures and they do look mightily similar, here www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31289

I've googled until my eyes look like boiled eggs and I'm not certain what it is...seems like it has characteristics of several different things which is confusing things. I would second shovetheholly and post on an expert site - I would post all your photos and description here

On a different note though; I laughed my head off reading your description of shoving the stem up your nose; I go all 'Norman Wisdom' as well so meeting a fellow sufferer has tickled me somewhat

hmm..those photos on the bushcraft site do look like it ; maybe time to dig it up and bin it?

I'm posting on the site you suggested. We will dig it up and bin it regardless I think, but it would help to know if it is really "the most poisonous plant in Europe" !!!
Glad to meet a fellow Normal. Honestly I could toss tea all over myself, fall backwards over nothing, or indeed shove lethal stems up my nose, just by getting a bit anxious...

Norman. Not normal. As it clearly isn't normal!!

'tis to me

Well both my botanist friend and the natural history museum people have replied and both think it is almost certainly hemlock water dropwort - Oenanthe crocata. Blardy Hell. "The most poisonous plant in Europe". And even worse it is really hard to eradicate. Botanist said if we had just one plant we might manage it, but if there were more it would be difficult. (There are about half a dozen I think). So even more poisonous and ghastly than hemlock. Such pretty flowers! I can't even eat the raspberries that grow next to it apparently! So thanks for all help. I think we will have to dig it up very very carefully, and then bag and bin it, or even ask for advice from the council. I really don't want to poison any animals with it. A small amount of root is enough to kill a COW !!!

Blardy hell indeed; time for the big gun approach then. Industrial strength glycophosphate all over it, leave for a few days so it goes into the roots and then dig up. Mind you don't fall onto the plant with your mouth open and accidently eat it !!

I would wear a mask as well just incase you get any sap landing on you and wear thick gloves and sturdy clothes. Bin the gloves and wash the clothes afterwards and then have a gin or two to settle your nerves!

Just a thought but are there any more of them growing out the back of your garden?

Coming late to this ... I think the 1st plant is sweet Cecily. Mine has gone over now and the seed heads look just like that. (Holly - I have a seedling plant that needs a home. Would you like it?)

The first photos of the second plant looked very like my mystery Umbellifer, which a friend suggested to me was Alexanders, but later ones less so. The reason I'm here, though, is to repeat what the RHS told me, when I asked them to identify the plant on the basis of my verbal description, which is to get a proper identification by sending them a sample, rather than risk an unintended DIY poisoning.

Blush. Had missed the last few posts. In that case, I'd seek advice from the council, as you would with Japanese knotweed.

Not going to use glyco, as it is now a known carcinogen, and also the plants are near a stream which runs right into the river, so we could poison fish etc. Think it will have to be dug up very carefully and then bagged, but I'll call the council for disposal advice, perhaps they will then incinerate it?
There is more than one plant, yes. There are 4-6 I think, I haven't counted them yet.........

That sounds like the best plan. I'm assuming the council will treat it as a biohazard and (probably) incinerate it.

-Gatekeeper- am still laughing at needing to make sure i don't fall onto the plant with my mouth open...Honestly that is just the sort of thing I would actually do. Hence DH is on disposal duty, not me...

Thats the ticket! Look on from the window and shout encouragement. Make sure dh's life insurance up to date etc etc

Cheers, i've enjoyed this 'what-is-this-plant' chat

Maybe I should up his insurance? Just in case? And get him a full chemical warfare suit? I now foresee the battle against this plant being a lovely event for us every Spring for the next umpteen years.

Oh and cheers to you, or "hwyl" as we say round here. For all the helpful advice. I love Mumsnet for things like this. Highly toxic unidentified plant? Mumsnetters will be there googling and checking their ref books. Fab.