Hemlock, also called poison hemlock, is a poisonous herb. Hemlock lives for two to several years and then flowers, produces fruit, and dies. It has many branches, purple-spotted hollow stems, and numerous clusters of small, white flowers. It grows up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) high. Its egg-shaped fruits are about 1/8 inch (3 millimeters) long and ripen in July and August. Its leaves look like those of parsley, for which it is often mistaken. But hemlock can be quickly recognized by its disagreeable odor that becomes quite strong when the leaves or stems are bruised. The plant is native to Europe, Asia, and some parts of Africa. It also has been introduced into North America.
People mistaking hemlock for parsley may be poisoned. Children are sometimes poisoned by hemlock when they make whistles or peashooters from its hollow stems. The plant can be killed with herbicide (chemical weedkiller). The ancient Greeks made a poisonous brew from hemlock and gave it to criminals condemned to death. The philosopher Socrates died by drinking this brew.
