Hemlock warning: the deadly plant found in UK gardens

Walkers and gardeners across the UK are being warned about a deadly plant which could prove fatal to pets and humans.

People are being told to keep an eye out for hemlock, which can be found in our gardens and looks similar to Cow’s Parsley.

If it was eaten, hemlock could kill due to the fatal toxins it contains.

They grow naturally and include gamma-coniceine and coniine, which can cause muscular paralysis.

A warning has been issued for gardeners and walkers to be on the lookout for Hemlock, a deadly plant which could prove fatal to pets and humans (Image: Getty)

Ingesting the toxic plant could lead to respiratory failure.

Hemlock usually grows in wet, marshy places and is often confused for its non-poisonous lookalikes such as wild carrots or parsnips.

Plant expert Whitney Bromberg Hawkings told The Sun: “Water Hemlock, which bears a close resemblance to Cow’s Parsley can be found dotted across the countryside the second the sun comes out, but can also be fatal to animals and humans alike within minutes of ingestion.

“It contains a highly poisonous chemical that is lethal if ingested, not to mention its strong carrot-like odour which makes it a garden foe.”

Hemlock symptoms and risks

Hemlock can cause horrendous symptoms when ingested.

These include: vomiting, trembling, problems in movement, slow and weak later rapid pulse, rapid respiration, salivation, urination, nausea, convulsions, coma, and even death in domestic animals and humans.

A dog was taken ill and later died while out walking in County Antrim in early May, with the animal’s death thought to be possibly caused by exposure to the poisonous plant.

It is thought that the reason the plants have grown in abundance this year is due to the damp spring.