Wildflowers Found in Oregon

Poison Hemlock

Conium maculatum - Common, early summer, biennial, 6-8 feet. Taproot white. Stems erect, streaked or spotted purple. Petioles enlarged and sheathing at base. Leaf blades 8-12 in. long, pinnately divided, fern-like. Numerous white flowers form compact clusters within umbels. Smells musty when crushed. Introduced from Europe, found mostly below 3000 ft. in marshes, ditches, along beaches, other wet places. So toxic even a tiny amount of sap, leaf, or seed can cause severe sickness if eaten. Nonnative.