Poison
Hemlock
Conium maculatum
You have probably
passed this plant in the wild many times without noticing because it
so much resembles other members of the carrot family, especially Queen
Anne's Lace (how to tell them apart). Sacred to Hecate and Lilith. This
baneful herb is used for magickal work involving astral travel and for
purifying ritual swords and knives. The flowers are said to be used
in spells to cause impotence in men, and the plant is good for ritually
paralyzing a situation. In Europe, it is considered one of the quintessential
witching plants and an essential in any witch's garden for hexing. It
has been cultivated there since at least the Middle Ages. This deadly
poisonous plant is also known as Herb Bennet, Spotted Corobane, Musquash
Root, Beaver Poison, Poison Parsley, Spotted Hemlock, Kex, and Kecksies.
How
to grow hemlock. This plant is a biennial
in very moist areas, which means that the first year it produces a rosette
of leaves and develops a root. The second year it sends up flower stalks,
blooms, and produces seeds, after which it dies. It can sometimes be
perennial or annual (flower first year), however. Seeds will germinate
from late summer to early spring and like cool weather. Plant at no
warmer than room temperature and barely cover. They should germinate
in two weeks. Or sow on Winter Solstice. Transplant to moist, rich soil
and full sun. This plant gets 3-10ft/90-300cm tall and blooms all summer.
This plant can be invasive.