Urgent warning as deadly plant discovered on West Country beach

The toxic Hemlock Water Dropwort – known as Dead man’s fingers – has been found on beaches near St Ives

An urgent warning has been issued after a highly toxic root plant was discovered on a West Country beach. Dog owners should stay away from hemlock, which can prove fatal to animals if ingested.

The toxic root plant has been found on Cornish beaches. In a post on Facebook, the National Coastwatch Institution St Ives put out a warning of the highly dangerous plant alongside a photograph in a bid to help beach walkers and dog owners identify it, reports Cornwall Live.

It reads: “This very poisonous Hemlock also known as ‘dead man’s fingers’ has been spotted on a few beaches around our bay here. This is highly toxic and should not be touched and dogs should be kept well clear of.”

Try BristolLive Premium for FREE with no ads and new features

Hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata), a cousin of the equally toxic hemlock (conium maculatum), is a flowering plant in the carrot family, native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It grows in damp grassland and wet woodland, often along river and stream banks. All parts of the plant are extremely toxic and it has been known to cause human and livestock poisoning.

All parts of hemlock water dropwort are potentially deadly. Look out for distinctive carrot family leaves (3 to 4 times pinnate at base) growing from or near water, strong unpleasant smell when broken (like acrid celery), hairless hollow grooved stem and white swollen roots.

The “dead man’s fingers” of hemlock water dropwort roots are often exposed on river banks or washed up on beaches after floods or high tides.

Hemlock water dropwort is one of the most poisonous plants in the UK and all parts of it are poisonous, with death occurring as quickly as a couple of hours after ingestion either by humans or dogs. The plant contains alkaloids which attack the nervous system and can cause breathing difficulties, paralysis and death in pets.