Hemlock Water-Dropwort

[Robert]

Have found some of this appear on our flooded stream banks. I read that the root is very poisonous - do I need to eradicate it or will it be left alone by the very sporadic grazing livestock we have on our grass / cover crops? Thanks

 

[jondear]

That doesn't look like what I would call water dropwort .We have it everywhere under hedges and ditches .Stock love to eat the stinking stuff .Roots. (Dead man's fingers are poisonous!

 

[milkloss]

Our cows eat water drop wort later in the season with no obvious effects. But. When it was dry and lack of grass this spring we may well have lost one cow and effects on another two..... off colour, peeling skin sort of thing. Might be because it's a different time of year and the plant is a bit more 'pokey'.

it'll spread like fk if it's left alone in ideal conditions so if you can get on top of it then great imo.
It doesn't like mcpa, pastor won't touch it really and glypho will leave a patch for more to grow but as it grows near water you're pretty limited.