Don't be confused between Queen Anne's Lace and poison hemlock

Jun. 17—Driving around Pontotoc County in the early spring, you start to see all the beautiful wildflowers growing on the side of the road. Indian paintbrushes and blankets, common yarrow, wild parsnip, hairy vetch, clovers... the list goes on.

A common, and very pretty one I'm seeing everywhere right now is one that many start to get nervous about because of its well-known cousin. Queen Anne's lace is found pretty much everywhere right now, especially in bar ditches and the side of the road. But its look-a-like cousin, poison hemlock, has been a cause for concern as reports and questions come in from all over the state.

In the early spring, around May and early June, we start to get reports and questions around the state about poison hemlock. As this flower starts to bloom out in the spring, it often gets confused with Queen Anne's Lace, cow parsley, wild parsnip, and several others.

Queen Anne's lace and poison hemlock are both in the same family, Apiaceae, which is no wonder why they both look alike. Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus Apium and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers.

So how can we tell poison hemlock apart from its look-a-likes?

For starters, poison hemlock is typically very tall. Poison hemlock is known to get anywhere from 6 to 10 feet tall. Queen Anne's Lace, also known as wild carrot, is usually 1 to 4 feet tall at most.

Both plants have small, white flowers that are arranged in an umbel inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. Queen Anne's lace typically has a small purple spot right in the middle of the arrangement while poison hemlock does not.

The stem of both plants are key indicators that show the difference between the two. While both are hollow stems, Queen Anne's Lace is green and hairy while the poison hemlock's stem has small, purple spots all over its smooth stem. These characteristics are very distinguishable from each other.

Poison hemlock is toxic to many different livestock species. It doesn't take very much to harm livestock, wildlife, and people. Less than 500 grams can kill an animal. It's also very toxic for humans. Simply touching the plant can make you sick.

As far as eradicating poison hemlock from a field or in a landscape, avoid touching it with bare skin. Always use long sleeves, pants, and gloves when digging or physically removing the plants. Herbicide is an option, however, it is best controlled when they are small plants around 4-6 inches in height. The stalks on the plant can remain toxic for up to three years; therefore, removing all above-ground growth is best after you've done any kind of herbicide treatment. One option after doing an herbicide spray is to do a controlled burn in the pasture.

If you are unsure of whether the plant is Queen Anne's lace or poison hemlock, be safe and don't touch it. Contact your local extension office to let an expert identify it for you.