Water hemlock. Photo courtesy of the Dallas Park and Recreation website.
If you see a plant that’s a few feet tall with white clusters of flowers around White Rock Lake (or any other wet place), avoid it because it could be a water hemlock.
“Water hemlock is the most violently toxic plant that grows in North America,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service website. “Only a small amount of the toxic substance in the plant is needed to produce poisoning in livestock or in humans.”
Dallas Park and Recreation reported in a press release that water hemlock is being actively treated and monitored at White Rock Lake.
“In response to the presence of water hemlock, Dallas Park and Recreation is applying targeted chemical treatments in select shoreline areas,” reads the press release. “Treatments are expected to take no more than two days, and the department will continue to monitor the treated areas for several weeks. Once the water hemlock begins to wilt, its toxicity drops quickly.”
It should be noted that water hemlock, which blooms from late May through July in wet environments, isn’t the same as the harmless Queen Anne’s Lace, which has a slightly earlier blooming schedule than water hemlock and exists in drier places, according to the press release. While both plants have clusters of white flowers, water hemlock has thick and hollow stems with purple blotches and “fern-like, glossy, and sharply toothed leaves.”
Water hemlock has thick and hollow stems with purple blotches and “fern-like, glossy, and sharply toothed leaves.” Photo courtesy of the Dallas Park and Recreation website.
Bottom line — don’t touch or remove plants near the White Rock Lake shoreline, and keep your pets away from shoreline vegetation, too. You can call 214-670-1923 or 311 to report suspicious plants.
Water hemlock. Courtesy photo from Dallas Park and Recreation website.
