From the links it does look like hemlock. And it says cow parsly is related to hemlock. I get a lot of compliments from neighbors on it. Guess I'll let it grow for a while longer. Thanks for the help. Bob

The picture hyperlinks above have been moved to: http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09261.JPG http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09266.JPG http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09271.JPG I took some close up pictures yesterday. Both caterpillars were eating the leaves of the mystery (giant wild carrot looking) plant. I am 5'10", and I was standing on ground 1' higher than the base of the plant, and it was still taller by probably a foot. There are others nearby that are of similar size. On the other side of the bridge (neighbors side of the creek) there are plants of the same kind that look to be 8 feet tall easily. The past two years I've been cutting these down because I thought they were/are poison hemlock and I've been successful in that they haven't grown back in the area I've purged them from. Not because cutting them back, but because of all the other plants probably keeping them shaded. Here are the pictures I took yesterday, some of the stem. The surrounding vegetation was dense. I hope to take a picture of the base part of the stem of another plant that is more exposed. Caterpillar eating a leaf. http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09272.JPG Higher up stem, with bindweed climbing it. http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09273.JPG Lower part of stem, hard to see http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09276.JPG Mid stem, with branch bract http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09277.JPG Close up of foliage with little damage http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09278.JPG Different angles of stem, but not that well in focus http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09279.JPG http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09280.JPG http://www.schaefer.dhcp.biz/albums/Garden2009/DSC09281.JPG I forgot to mention, when I got up close I saw so many aphids! It explains why the plant is crawling with lady bugs. Could the species of aphid help determine what plant it is?

BTW, i let mine go nuts...i like its presence every year. -I have the room for it and another favorite, mullen, that many find a huge trouble, but i see it as a good luck plant and a fascinating traveler. (not at all invasive where i am)...but i have many acres for these lovelies.

Here's what I am calling poison hemlock or Conium maculatum. It is blooming today in Maryland. For us this is a newish weed and is spreading rapidly. It easily can reach 6' height. Several colonies on a neighboring farm and for some reason the owner won't spray herbicide. Can anyone recommend some kind of organic spray to kill this stuff? Way too many to remove manually. I'm concerned that something like liquid salt concentrate will permanently damage the soil.