Plant Lore
TOUCH-ME-NOTS
Foxglove
Also known as Digitalis, this plant has the ability to slow or stop your heart. The flowers are beautiful. They are thimble shaped, and about 1 to 2 inches in length. They are usually fucia or white with small markings on the inside. They are very tempting to pick. If you just can’t resist, then be sure to use plastic, not cloth or leather, gloves.
Be very careful in disposing of the dead plants and the water in the vase. Never put them in your compost pile or bury them in your garden. Keep them away from children and other animals.
You will find foxglove in nurseries all over the United States, and growing wild everywhere. It is easily confused with comfrey, and less easily confused with mullein or plantain. It is extremely dangerous. Admire it and move on.
Poison Hemlock
It has umbrellas of small white or cream flowers, and the foliage looks like a cross between carrot and celery greens.
There are tiny purple streaks on the stems. It grows profusely along the Pacific Coast, and can be 6 to 7 feet tall. I’ve seen whole fields of densly growing hemlock. I’ve found it in parks along the trails without any warning signs. When I approached a ranger, he seemed to be surprised. He said no one ever told him about it. And he’s supposed to be an authority.
This plant looks a lot like several other, safe, plants, like wild celery and Queen Anne’s Lace. The best way to identify it is by the smell - a nasty sort of rodent odor like a dirty mouse or hamster den. When in doubt, stay away. This is VERY DANGEROUS. I tell the kids, “if it smells like a mouse, it’ll kill you dead!”
