Poison-hemlock

Conium maculatum

Found in ditches, roadsides, streambanks, river terraces, pastures, disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

Highly poisonous

Not native to Virginia. Not suggested for planting. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height: 6–10 feet
Spread: 4–5 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

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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.

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Narrowleaf Sunflower
Helianthus angustifolius
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Yellow.
Similar growth form, height, spread
New York Ironweed
Vernonia noveboracensis
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Purple.
Similar growth form, height, spread

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At a glance

Life cycle: Biennial or perennial
Bloom: May to July
Fruiting season: June to August

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Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 67 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

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Named place / source context. Shown: Watauga Falls, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Watauga Falls, Illustrator/engraver not confidently attributed; reproduced in Zeigler and Grosscup, The Heart of the Alleghanies (1883), 1883. Public domain. Source record.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Conium

Choristoneura fumiferanaSpruce Budworm Moth
Papilio polyxenesBlack Swallowtail, Celery Caterpillar, Fennel Worm, Desert Black Swallowtail, Parsnip Swallowtail
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Apiaceae
Flower color: Pink or white
Fruit begins: June
Fruit ends: August

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Fruit begins · “June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “August” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Height · “6–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs)
Life cycle · “Biennial or perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs)
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “4–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Poison Hemlock

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source