The Herbarium
Part XII · Lookalikes
Field pair
Water hemlock for parsley
Water hemlock and Parsley — take this sheet to the bed, not a guess to the kettle.
Deadly mix-upForage
Water hemlock for parsley
Cicuta is the deadliest plant in North American ditches. A wet-ground parsley look-alike has killed people who wanted a garnish.
Water hemlock stands in wet ground, the leaf veins run to the notches, and the root is chambered. Parsley does not grow in a creek. If the feet are wet, it is not parsley.
The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.