LANCASTER, Texas — A Lancaster woman’s viral Facebook post has been shared more than 100-thousand times.
In her post shared from Sunday, she said she came into contact with the plant known as Poison Hemlock, and it sent her to the emergency room.
Its infamous legacy dates all the way back to Ancient Greece as an execution method. Horticulturalists say the stem and the leaves are the most poisonous part of the plant.
Symptoms following an infection from the plant include sweating, vomiting, dilated pupils, confusion muscle paralysis and seizures. Medical experts say there is no cure if you are poisoned by the plant.
“It’s not like poison ivy where if you touch it in trouble but if you ingest it or inhale it, it can be very poisonous so if you suspect that’s what’s going on or start to have symptoms, you need to call 911 or poison control or get to the closest emergency room as quick as you can,” said Dr. Jay Herd, Chief Medical Officer, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical.
The potentially deadly plant was also identified near White Rock Lake in July of 2022.
The Dallas Parks and Recreation department warned residents at the time about it, saying the plant has been found growing along the lakefront and that it was possible residents can accidentally come into contact with it.
"Park maintenance staff recently learned of several populations of the poisonous growing around the lake," the department said in its July release.
For those who have trouble identifying Poison Hemlock, experts say it’s best to err on the side of caution and send pictures of the plant to the Texas Department of Agriculture.