Cicuta maculata

Water hemlock

Family: Apiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Water hemlock is a deadly poisonous California native perennial found in wet meadows, stream banks, and marshlands across the state's central and northern regions at low to moderate elevations. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces delicate white flowers in compound umbels with numerous small clusters arranged in lacy, intricate patterns. Growing to a substantial height of 1 to 1.5 meters with thick, hollow stems marked by distinctive purple-brown streaks or mottling, it develops an impressive and somewhat menacing presence in wet habitats. Its large, complex leaves are divided into 1 to 2 pinnate segments with sharp-pointed, lance-shaped leaflets 2 to 10 centimeters long, each edged with coarse serrations and featuring intricate vein patterns. The small ovate fruits, approximately 3 to 4 millimeters long, complete the plant's sophisticated botanical structure.

California counties: Inyo, Santa Cruz, Mono, Modoc, Solano, San Diego, San Bernardino, Alpine

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.