Wild carrots

[Hinotori]

Someone posted this lovely picture on one of the forums I frequent. It got me remembering that the news covered someone who got hemlock poisoning here a few years ago because they had planted wild carrot seed in the garden and thought the seed had just drifted. Hemlock is a noxious weed here. As a kid, I was always taught that there is no such plant as wild carrot if you get lost in the wildnerness.

One of these is edible and the other will kill you. Collecting "wild carrots" is a dangerous game that isn't worth it.

The one on the left is hemlock.

 

[sumi]

They are near identical! I can see how someone could accidentally eat the hemlock, thinking it's wild carrot. Thank you for posting this @Hinotori

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Great info - thanks!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Crazy, I didn't know there was such a thing but thanks for sharing!

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Question- Does the hemlock smell anything like the carrot?

 

[Hinotori]

Cant tell you. Been too long since I messed with any. I pulled all that was here the first year we moved in.

Cant tell you if wild carrot smells like domestic carrot either. Never ran across that that I know of

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

I know the wild carrots smell like domestic carrots. I have picked the flowers of Daucus Carota before.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daucus_carota

Of course, they both have a long history of medicinal usage.

http://www.sisterzeus.com/qaluse.htm

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppl...ingredientid=949&activeingredientname=hemlock

 

[Hinotori]

Found some. Type we have has a light scent reminiscent of carrot. Doesnt have that strong carrot scent