A child who had to be hospitalized after ingesting poison hemlock at a Langford elementary school last week had mistaken it for an edible plant, says the school district.
She said further soil replacement was completed on Monday, and the child has since returned to school. The school district usually tackles hemlock in the spring as part of its integrated pest management plan, but has been expediting its removal efforts as the climate warms, McGillivray said. HOW TO IDENTIFY POISON HEMLOCK Poison hemlock can grow to five or six feet but can be easily mistaken for carrots or parsley leaves when young. One easy way to spot hemlock is to see whether the plant has any purple on it, Marr said. “Those purple splotches on the stem are just unmistakable.”
The Capital Regional District classifies poison hemlock as a priority invasive species that can cause human health risks.