Quercus

Spotted Water-hemlock

Cicuta maculata

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Highly poisonous. Serious poisoning risk if eaten. Excluded from default planting suggestions; keep away from children and pets. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

8CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Cicuta

  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
  • Papaipema insulidensRagwort Stem Borer
  • Papaipema marginidensBrick-Red Borer
  • Papilio polyxenesBlack Swallowtail, Celery Caterpillar, Fennel Worm, Desert Black Swallowtail, Parsnip Swallowtail
  • Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
  • Depressaria cinereocostella
  • Epermenia cicutaella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
4BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Cicuta

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Cicuta

  • Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
1AntsRecorded seed interactions
  • Formica fusca
Beetles 11
  • Batyle suturalis
  • Bruchus bivulneratus
  • Centrinus picumnus
  • Centrinus scutellum album
  • Coccinella 9-notata
  • Diabrotica 12-punctata
  • Epicauta trichrus
  • Euderces picipes
  • Mordella melaena
  • Mordella scutellaris
Show all 11
  • Scymnus consobrinus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 52
  • Agromyza latipes
  • Archytas analis
  • Archytas aterrima
  • Archytas hystrix
  • Belvosia bifasciata
  • Belvosia unifasciata
  • Calythea albicincta
  • Cistogaster occidua
  • Conops xanthopareus
  • Ennyomma clistoides
Show all 52
  • Eristalis flavipes
  • Eristalis latifrons
  • Eristalis tenax
  • Eugnoriste occidentalis
  • Exoprosopa fascipennis
  • Exorista confinis
  • Graphomyia americana
  • Gymnosoma fuliginosa
  • Hippelates plebejus
  • Limnophora narona
  • Mallota illinoensis
  • Morellia micans
  • Musca domestica
  • Nemotelus glaber
  • Opsidia gonioides
  • Orthoneura nitida
  • Paradidyma singularis
  • Phasioclista metallica
  • Phorantha pruinosa
  • Phorantha purpurascens
  • Phormia regina
  • Pipiza pulchella
  • Sarcophaga assidua
  • Sarcophaga hunteri
  • Sarcophaga sinuata
  • Scatopse pulicaria
  • Scenopinus nubillipes
  • Scepsis fulvicollis
  • Sciara atrata
  • Senotainia trilineata
  • Spallanzania hesperidarum
  • Sphaerophoria cylindrica
  • Stomoxys calcitrans
  • Stratiomyia meigenii
  • Stratiomyia unilimbata
  • Sturmia nigrita
  • Tachina rustica
  • Trichophora ruficauda
  • Trichopoda pennipes
  • Tropidia quadrata
  • Winthemia 4-pustulata
  • Zodion nanellum

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 2
  • Argynnis cybele
  • Phyciodes tharos

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 75
  • Ammobia ichneumonea
  • Ammobia pennsylvanica
  • Anacrabro ocellatus
  • Ancistrocerus tigris
  • Anoplius illinoensis
  • Astatus bicolor
  • Astatus unicolor
  • Bassus sanctus
  • Bembix spinolae
  • Bicyrtes 4-fasciata
Show all 75
  • Bracon vernoniae
  • Bruchophagus funebris
  • Cerceris clypeata
  • Cerceris fumipennis
  • Cerceris kennicottii
  • Ceropales bipunctata
  • Ceropales fraterna
  • Ceropales fulvipes
  • Ceropales robinsonii
  • Chalcis flavipes
  • Chalybion caeruleum
  • Chlorion caeruleum
  • Cryptocheilus fulgifrons
  • Ectemnius atriceps
  • Eucerceris zonatus
  • Eumenes fraternus
  • Ichneumon jucundus
  • Iphiaulax rugator
  • Isodontia apicalis
  • Isodontia macrocephala
  • Leionotus arvensis
  • Leionotus dorsalis
  • Leionotus scrophulariae
  • Lindenius errans
  • Lyroda subita
  • Monobia 4-dens
  • Notoglossa cressonii
  • Notoglossa emarginata
  • Notoglossa inornata
  • Notogonidea argentata
  • Nysson plagiatus
  • Orgilus rileyi
  • Oxybelus 4-notatus
  • Philanthus punctatus
  • Poecilopompilus interruptus
  • Poecilopompilus navus
  • Polistes annularis
  • Polistes pallipes
  • Polistes rubiginosus
  • Polistes variatus
  • Pompiloides americanus
  • Priononyx atrata
  • Priononyx thomae
  • Psammochares relativus
  • Psen tibialis
  • Pseudoplisus phaleratus
  • Scolia nobilitata
  • Sphex gracilis
  • Sphex nigricans
  • Sphex vulgaris
  • Stizus unicinctus
  • Tachysphex acutus
  • Tachysphex belfragei
  • Tachysphex tarsatus
  • Tachysphex terminatus
  • Tachytes mandibularis
  • Tachytes obscurus
  • Tachytes pepticus
  • Tachytes sericatus
  • Tiphia illinoensis
  • Tiphia transversa
  • Trypoxylon tridentatum
  • Vespula maculata
  • Vespula vidua
  • Zanysson aurinotus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other insects 2
  • Corimelaena pulicaria
  • Phymata wolffii

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Apiaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
White
Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Spotted Water hemlock; Water Hemlock

Conservation status

Kentucky rankS5
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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