Missouri Plant Now Growing Like Wildfire Can Kill You in Minutes

Even just one small leaf or stem can kill you. What is it? It's a plant growing like wildfire in Missouri right now and any part of it can be lethal to you, your cattle and/or your pets.

I have no doubt that if you've spent any time in the outdoors this Spring in Missouri, you've run into this unfortunately very familiar plant. It looks very innocent, but it's not.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has an entire website dedicated to warning you about how dangerous this not-so-innocent plant is. This is common water hemlock. It normally blooms in May, but has made an early appearance in Missouri this Spring thanks to the weather turning warmer sooner than usual.

Here's what you need to know. Every single element of this plant is toxic. The state of Missouri puts it simply like this:

"When livestock consume even a little of the plant, either fresh or as a contaminant in hay, they can die within 15 minutes. Poisoned people can suffer similarly".

Medscape says that even if you make it to the doctor after consuming hemlock, the mortality rate is 30%. It is truly one of the most poisonous plants in North America and it's already making its appearance in Missouri again.

The good news is hemlock poisoning deaths in Missouri are rare. It's normally pets or cattle that become the victims which is why you want to keep close tabs on your pets if you're walking near a river as this is where the plant rears its ugly stem.