I was out walking with my wife and kids and saw what i thought was queen anne's lace sprouting out of the ditch. When we were kids we would yank them out to smell the root to see if it smelled like carrots (hey, there was no internet). So I rip it out of the ground and tell my kids to smell it, i smell it, didn't really smell like carrots. So then i do the next logical thing and start chasing my kids around with the plant and (lightly!) whack them with the flowers.
Anyway we're having a good old time and this guy i know that's the ditch supervisor for the county comes down the road and slows to a stop. I'm like 'hey man what's up?' and he said 'uh..not much. you realize that's hemlock don't you?' 'Hmmm?' 'Yeah that's poisonous plant, it's a neurotoxin, better go home and wash off. If anybody starts feeling funny call 911.'.
In the south, we have Oleander. Southern ladies used to put it in British soldiers’ tea to kill them during the revolutionary war. A family was vacationing at the beach here in SC and used it as hotdog (or maybe marshmallow) roasting sticks. It produces nice, straight, long sticks ideal for such a thing except that it’s fatal.
It’s part of the county office of engineering and he’s responsible for overseeing all ditch maintenance of course but has to do some light civil engineering work with all new construction and drainage projects that impact the outflow of water off of a property. Just checked and the county is 437 square miles so he keeps busy.
Anyway we're having a good old time and this guy i know that's the ditch supervisor for the county comes down the road and slows to a stop. I'm like 'hey man what's up?' and he said 'uh..not much. you realize that's hemlock don't you?' 'Hmmm?' 'Yeah that's poisonous plant, it's a neurotoxin, better go home and wash off. If anybody starts feeling funny call 911.'.
And that's how i learned what hemlock looks like!