Beware of the poison plant creeping into NJ parks

We are the Garden State, so we’re used to looking around and seeing all kinds of beautiful foliage around us. And it all starts to look like one big beautiful landscape. That is, until you realize that some of it can be scary.

New Jersey has enough to deal with between poison ivy and ticks, but now there’s a new plant causing trouble:

Poison hemlock.

It looks almost delicate, with little white flowers, but don’t be fooled. Every part of it is toxic. Brush against it and you can get a reaction. Ingest it, and it can be deadly.

It’s popping up more and more around the state, not just along highways but in local parks and trails. Towns are starting to warn residents to steer clear. Raritan Township even put out an alert reminding people to be careful while walking, hiking, or letting the dog run around.

You can read their full warning here.

And poison hemlock isn’t alone. Another one making the rounds is pokeweed.

It shows up with reddish stems and dark berries that look like something you’d see in a kid’s book illustration. Cute, until you learn it’s toxic to pets and people. Once it was mostly spotted in South Jersey, but now it’s creeping into gardens and fields everywhere.

Bottom line: Keep an eye out. If you’re outside gardening, hiking, or just out with the dog, know what these plants look like. Gloves are your friend, pets should stay away, and anything suspicious should be bagged and tossed. Better safe than sorry.