7 things to know about hemlock

• IT LOOKS similar to Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) in its young, rosette form and when it flowers, but its stems are hair-free and have red-purple streaks or spots.

• SOMETIMES mistaken for flat-leaf parsley and fennel. Parsley leaves grow on individual, fine, green stems; hemlock has thicker stems and fernlike leaves. Fennel has much finer leaves, yellow flowers, and a pleasant aniseed smell.

• TOXIC to humans and livestock if eaten, even when dried and dead. It can also cause issues if it touches your skin or you inhale its scent, especially during hot weather.

• MOST toxic in spring when certain alkaloids in it are most concentrated.

• EATING meat from birds that have eaten the seeds can cause toxicity in humans.

• SPRAYED plants are more palatable to stock and remain toxic.

• DEAD stems can remain toxic for up to three years.

Tip:

check pasture and hay paddocks regularly for hemlock – wear gloves to pull out plants and take regular breaks if you're clearing a large area.

Symptoms in stock:

nervous trembling, excess saliva, lack of coordination, dilated pupils, rapid, weak pulse, breathing issues, coma, death – can also cause congenital defects if eaten by pregnant stock. Symptoms in humans:

nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, trembling, slow heartbeat, paralysis, respiratory failure.