VISITORS to Worcestershire have been advised on how to spot a highly poisonous plant as it reaches it peak season.
Hemlock, or Conium Maculatum, is a wildflower which can be seen across Worcestershire.
The plant is most commonly found in grasslands and woodlands in June and July.
How dangerous is hemlock?
Only a tiny amount of hemlock can prove to be fatal to humans and animals.
The toxins in the plant, such as coniine and gamma-coniceine, are paralytics, and can leave its victims unable to move their muscles, causing respiratory failure.
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However, the unpleasant smell given off by hemlock often makes people avoid it, preventing fatalities.
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What does hemlock look like?
The upright plant's purple-spotted stems can grow as high as two metres.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust said: "Its leaves are finely divided and large, and its flowers are small and white, and appear in umbrella-like clusters."
