Linn-Benton Community College Students Wage War on Poisonous Plants

 In the community garden at LBCC’s Albany campus highly toxic hemlock grows. 

First brought over by colonizers for decorative gardens, the flowering plant is invasive and quick to take over if left unchecked. Linn-Benton’s gardening club has been fighting the plant for years. The innocent looking flower comes from the carrot family and to the untrained eye looks right at home in the garden.

Melinda Williams, who founded the current gardening club in the spring term of 2022, heads much of the community garden fight against the hemlock. 

“One of the first things I do when introducing people to the garden is show them how to identify poison hemlock and warn them not to touch it without gloves and long sleeves,” Williams said. 

Her major concern is that students will get severe rashes from the plants.

Alex Loveday, a student employee through the biology department who tends to the greenhouse, is concerned about the health dangers of the encroaching plant, such as kidney failure. They can spread toxic seeds closely to plants being grown for consumption. He doesn’t want the poison hemlock to scare away those interested in the community garden though. 

“Don’t eat random plants and you’ll be okay.”

Both Williams and Loveday invite students with or without gardening experience to show up to their regular Friday meetings at 3 pm or special events promoted by the gardening club. 

“We always need more hands to help pull the hemlock and tend to our growing plants,” Williams said. She encourages students to reach out to her through email or on LBLive to get involved.