Other common names:
Bulblet-bearing Water Hemlock, Bulbous Water Hemlock French names:
Cicutaire bulbifère Family: Parsley Family (Apiaceae) Group: Water Hemlocks Distinctive features:
Spindly plant. Leaves narrow and finely divided. Wet areas. Stem hollow. Similar species: Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata) - leaves are quite different (not fine/feathery); shares the same habitat; also deadly poisonous. Water Parsnip (Sium suave) - leaves very different; shares the same habitat; edible. Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) - grows in dry areas; edible; smells like carrots. Japanese Hedge Parsley (Torilis japonica) - grows in drier fields. Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) - leaves are not narrow.
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) - A tree; similar in name only; no relation; not poisonous. See the Ontario Trees & Shrubs website.
Flowers: Summer; White; 5 parts (petals); Sparse, white, in an umbel (an umbrella-shaped cluster) about 1-2" wide. Individual flowers about 1/8" wide, with 5 petals and 5 stamens. Leaves: Alternate, Toothed; Widely spaced alternate compound leaves have very narrow leaflets. Leaflets up to 3" long. Widely spaced ragged teeth. Tiny bulblets occur in the axils (where a leaflet joins the stem). Height:
1-2 m (3-6 ft) Stem:
Widely spaced branches.Hollow. Habitat: Wet Areas; Wet open areas such as marshes, along shores, and sometimes open swamps. Poisonous: ***DEADLY POISONOUS***.
Books: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 222 Peterson's Field Guide to Wildflowers: 48 ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario: 125 Native/Non-native:
Native Notes:
Read about Water Hemlocks.
Origin and Meaning of Names:
Scientific Name: bulbifera: bearing bulbs Photographs:
134 photographs available, of which 9 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.
Range Map is at the bottom of the page
PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.
(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website
and is displayed here in accordance with their
Policies)