Stem
- Up to 5 ft. tall, stout, lacks hair (glabrous) and hollow except at nodes; usually with purple streaks; often branched
Leaves
- Pinnate-compound; leaflets are lance-shaped, 1-4 in. long and lack hair; edges (margins) are toothed
Flower
- Small, white and arranged in umbrella-like clusters at end of a stalk
Root
- Swollen taproot at stem base that can be cut open to reveal multiple narrow, hollow, horizontal chambers; fluid released from cut stem bases is orange-yellow or brown, has the odor of parsnip and is highly toxic
Other
- Grows best in moist soils; often found in crop fields, roadsides, waste areas and along waterways; known to occur in Douglas and Lyon counties; native to North America
- Perennial; reproduces by seed
- Highly toxic to animals and humans, even in small quantities
Control
- Repeated cultivation or hand-removal can be effective; avoid contact with skin
- Apply 2,4-D, glyphosate, or MCPA to actively growing plants
Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B.
2020,
Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Waterhemlock,
Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide
