Tag: Poison hemlock

While many herbs offer medicinal benefits, a wide range of plants, seeds, and fruits contain neurotoxic compounds that can cause severe illness or death. Understanding what herbs are neurotoxic is crucial for anyone interested in herbal medicine or interacting with wild flora, as accidental consumption can have irreversible neurological consequences.

Approximately 15 minutes after ingesting poison hemlock, severe symptoms can begin, including respiratory paralysis and death. With such high stakes, the question, '**Can hemlock be made into tea?**' requires a life-or-death distinction, separating the deadly poison hemlock from the non-toxic needles of the hemlock tree.

While the name “hemlock” is famously associated with the deadly poison that killed Socrates, the Eastern Hemlock tree (*Tsuga canadensis*) is not the same species and is, in fact, an edible evergreen. However, this shared common name causes dangerous confusion with the highly toxic flowering plant known as Poison Hemlock (*Conium maculatum*). Proper identification is critical before considering any wild plant for consumption, including Eastern Hemlock.