What is ground hemlock used for?

This evergreen shrub is a member of the Yew family and can be found in varying quantities on many Island woodlots. Several companies harvest Ground Hemlock twigs and foliage and sell it to processors who extract special compounds (Taxanes) which have pharmaceutical value for the treatment of several cancers.

Is the hemlock plant poisonous?

Poison-hemlock is acutely toxic to people and animals, with symptoms appearing 20 minutes to three hours after ingestion. All parts of the plant are poisonous and even the dead canes remain toxic for up to three years. The amount of toxin varies and tends to be higher in sunny areas.

Is hemlock good for anything?

Despite serious safety concerns, hemlock leaves, root, and seeds are used to make medicine. It is used for breathing problems including bronchitis, whooping cough, and asthma; and for painful conditions including teething in children, swollen and painful joints, and cramps. Hemlock is also used for anxiety and mania.

How can you tell if hemlock is poisonous?

Stems. The most important identification feature of poison hemlock are the stems and stalks. Poison hemlock stems are hairless, hollow, and almost always have distinctive purplish-red splotching or streaking on them, especially towards the base of the plant.

How much is ground hemlock worth?

It doesn’t seem like much, but transform the ground hemlock into paclitaxel and suddenly it’s worth a lot more: A kilogram of the substance (the result of 35,000 kilos of fresh ground-hemlock tips) is worth $150,000 to $200,000 (U.S.). PEI’s ground-hemlock market is estimated to be worth as much as $150-million a year.

Is Hemlock poisonous to the touch?

The poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.) is a dangerous plant that grows throughout the United States. Even touching this plant may cause a skin reaction in some people. To date, there is no antidote. The leaves are particularly poisonous in the spring, up until it produces flowers.

Can you touch hemlock plant?

Can you touch hemlock plants?

Is there a market for hemlock trees?

The characteristics of hemlock wood limit its use to relatively low- grade products, such as structural lumber, pulpwood, and pallets, although higher value niche markets exist, such as post and beam house frames. Markets for hemlock have rarely been strong and are not likely to become so.

How do you harvest hemlock?

Seed collection: Eastern hemlock fruit is a small cone. Harvest the fruit in the fall as the scales in the cone begin to open, but before the small winged seeds have been shed. The fruit can be allowed to dry, where it will open the scales and shed the seeds.

Where does hemlock plant grow?

Western hemlock’s (Tsuga heterophylla) native range includes much of the western United States and Canada, growing from Alaska to northern California from the coast to lower mountain elevations.

Is a hemlock tree an evergreen?

The hemlock tree is a coniferous evergreen tree. Information from the Arbor Day Foundation states there are three main types of hemlock tree: Western, mountain and Eastern.

What does the plant poison hemlock look like?

Poison hemlock is a large plant (three to eight feet high) that’s much branched, with smooth purple-spotted hollow stems; leaves that are fern-like; and small clusters (umbels) of white flowers. It is also characterized by a rank odor that’s detectable when one is near the plant or has crushed a leaf or stem.

How do I get rid of poison hemlock?

Small patches may be dug up – including roots – but mowing poison hemlock won’t kill it. Put the plant in a sealed garbage bag, let it bake in the sun and then throw the bag in the trash. Do not compost – the dried plants remain toxic. Treat clothing similar to poison oak and wash it separately.