Poisonous Herbs: Hemlock - A Deadly Native Plant

Hemlock grows wild in many places in England. It looks similar to other native plants that produce umbels of white flower in late spring and early summer, including cow parsley, angelica and sweet Cecily. However, while the latter three are harmless, hemlock is a deadly. In fact it is often specifically called “poison hemlock”. You needn’t worry about touching it, but never eat any part. The most famous victim was the philosopher Socrates, who was executed by drinking it in 399BC. His crime was sadly theological. He was accused of: “failing to acknowledge the gods that the city acknowledges”, “introducing new deities”, and leading his students to question accepted beliefs. 

The plant has long been associated with witchcraft of the maleficent variety. In Macbeth, the weird sisters throw gruesome ingredients into a cauldron. Along with human and animal body parts is hemlock root. Eric Maple, in Man, Myth and Magic, writes that real-life historical wise women might put hemlock as well as other lethal herbs in potions offered, depending on what the customer asked for and what they wished to be rid of in their lives. Of course, midwives and healers could be accused of also being poisoners back in the days when witchcraft was seen as something always evil.

It’s worth noting that the Chelsea Physic Garden, where the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London grew medicinal plants and trained apprentices, contains hemlock. This was to teach apprentices to tell the difference between poisonous and medicinal herbs. That’s something modern day witches should learn too. You don’t want to pick something that could kill anyone. The main way I recognise hemlock is by the purple splotches on a smooth stem. You can see them very clearly in the two photos above and centre. 

Melusine Draco’s excellent book By Wolfsbane and Mandrake Root, about the history of poisonous plants in witchcraft and folklore, writes this:

“Hemlock (conium maculatum)… is a tall, much branched and gracefully growing plant, with elegantly-cut foliage and white flowers. Country people very generally call by the name of hemlock many species of umbelliferous plants, but the poison hemlock may be distinguished by its slender growth, finely-divided smooth leaves and perfectly smooth stem, which is distinctively mottled with small irregular stains or spots of a port-wine colour and also covered with a white ‘bloom’ which is very easily rubbed off. Hemlock is one of the most poisonous plants on the planet, containing alkaloids, chiefly coniine, which paralyse the respiratory nerves, so that the victim dies of suffocation before the heart stops beating… Magical propensities for work involving astral travel and for purifying ritual swords and knives. The flowers are said to be used in spells to cause impotence, and the plant good for ritually paralyzing a situation.”

Always be very, very careful with anything poisonous. As I wrote earlier, hemlock is okay to touch, but should never, ever, be used in anything that will be eaten or drunk. Personally, if I was wanting to do a spell to paralyse a situation – I’d never paralyse a person – I’d visit the lovely site where I took the photos on this post, and ask the aid of the spirits of the hemlocks.

Hemlock water dropwort 

Hemlock water dropwort is similar in appearance, has a similar name, and is also deadly poison. I  spotted some some of that close to the patch of poison hemlock and photographed it too. You can see the hemlock water dropwort flowers in the picture below. The leaves are slightly less frond-like, the flowers are in more pronounced clumps, and the stems are grooved a bit like celery. 

You can view By Wolfsbane and Mandrake Root on Amazon and at publisher Moon Books. [Please be aware I earn commission from some links.]

Notes: This is absolutely not advice of any kind. It is purely offered for information purposes. Never ingest anything poisonous. Don’t forage for anything unless you are absolutely certain of the ID. Always consult a qualified medical practitioner or qualified herbalist before using any herbal treatment. 

Other previous related posts

http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/10/poisonous-herbs-hemlock-witches-plant.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/07/book-excerpt-secret-medicines-from-your.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/10/poisonous-plants-aconite-monkshood-or.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2020/10/poisonous-herbs-henbane-root-in.html

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