Deadly hemlock found on Dunster Beach. A woman warns walkers of the poisonous plant after recent South West warnings.
Helen Napper told SomersetLive about finding hemlock on Dunster Beach near a drain where a lot of vegetation grew. She was walking with a friend and four dogs.
Acting fast, Helen picked up the root in a dog poo bag and took it home to figure out what it was. Helen thinks it is hemlock and warns dog walkers about its danger.
Throughout the South West, people have issued warnings lately as this deadly plant washed ashore in Devon and Cornwall.
Hemlock water dropwort, also called ‘dead man’s fingers,’ is one of the UK’s most poisonous plants. It grows near waste, rivers, and ditches, with its roots being the most toxic. Eating any part of the plant is lethal, hurting both animals and humans.
The plant often grows in shallow water and can be seen by rivers. Stormy weather can wash it onto beaches.
You can ID hemlock by its leaves, which look like carrot leaves and grow near water. When broken, it smells awful and has a hairless, hollow, grooved stem with white, swollen roots.
Hemlock’s toxins cause muscle paralysis, leading to breathing failure and quick death. Even a little hemlock kills humans and livestock.
A vet warned about hemlock in 2022, as reported by SomersetLive. A dog died within 10-15 minutes of eating a suspected hemlock, due to poisoning.