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Waterdropwort

Oenanthe

Also called Water Dropwort, Water Dropworts, Water Dropworts, Wheatears

Waterdropwort
Photo: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain

Oenanthe is a genus of Apiaceae plants, such as water dropwort and water celery, that mostly grow in damp ground, marshes or shallow water. Keep them wet, and treat the roots of the notorious species as deadly poisonous.

Family
Apiaceae (Carrot family)
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Keep the roots constantly wet or submerged in shallow water.
Soil
Wet, muddy or marshy soil, or shallow water.
Temperature
Cool to temperate conditions; most species tolerate frost, but this varies by species.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Roots and stems, especially in O. crocata, contain oenanthotoxin, which can cause fatal poisoning; several species are extremely poisonous.

About

Oenanthe, known as water dropworts, oenanthes, water parsleys, and water celeries, are a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae. Most of the species grow in damp ground, such as in marshes or in water.

Several of the species are extremely poisonous, the active poison being oenanthotoxin. The most notable of these is O. crocata, which lives in damp, marshy ground, and resembles celery with roots like a bunch of large white carrots. The leaves may be eaten safely by livestock, but the stems, and especially the carbohydrate-rich roots are much more poisonous. Animals familiar with eating the leaves may eat the roots when these are exposed during ditch clearance: one root is sufficient to kill a cow, and human fatalities are also known.

Other Oenanthe plants

Hemlock Water-dropwort · Java waterdropwort · Corkyfruit waterdropwort

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Oenanthe (plant) by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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