Iowa

Iowa wildflower Wednesday: Poison hemlock

Published

7 months ago

June 20, 2024

Iowa wildflower Wednesday: Poison hemlock

Radio Iowa reported on June 14 that Hancock County Weed Commissioner Jason Lackore “is sounding the alarm” after finding poison hemlock in two public areas upstream from sites where cattle producers let their animals graze.

“If it was any other plant, I wouldn’t be making such a fuss, but this plant — all parts are extremely poisonous to humans, domestic animals,” Lackore said. “And you hear a lot about livestock, cattle, ingesting small amounts. It’s fatal.”

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is best known as an ancient method of execution, used to kill the Greek philosopher Socrates. This European native has unfortunately spread across the U.S. and is prevalent in Iowa. I see it almost every day while walking my dog. I took all of the photos enclosed below less than a mile from my home in Windsor Heights.

Habitats where poison hemlock thrives “include edges of degraded wetlands and prairies, low-lying areas along small rivers, banks of drainage ditches, thickets, woodland borders, fence rows, low-lying areas along railroads and roads, pastures, and abandoned fields.” You will mostly likely find it on disturbed ground, such as near railroad tracks or pavement. This patch is growing next to the parking lot behind the “Sherwood Forest” strip mall on Hickman Road.

That purple sign reads “prairie restoration.” It went up around twelve years ago, when a local student seeded a prairie patch in this area for his Eagle Scout project. Unfortunately, with no one maintaining the plantings, the field became overrun with invasive plants within a few years. I rarely see prairie species there anymore.

There’s no natural check on poison hemlock; according to Illinois Wildflowers, “Mammalian herbivores won’t touch the foliage because of its bitter rank odor and extreme toxicity.”

Like wild carrot, which it resembles, and other members of the parsley family, these plants are on a two-year cycle. Basal leaves grow during the first year, and the flowering stalk appears the following year.

The next image shows the plant in its first year.

In the second year, poison hemlock plants typically reach heights of three to eight feet. I’ve seen them much smaller, though; this one was barely one foot tall.

Some native plants—such as common elderberry and cow parsnip—also have clusters (umbels) of small white flowers blooming in May or June across Iowa. But the leaves and flower clusters on those plants look quite different.

Minnesota Wildflowers notes another distinguishing feature of poison hemlock: “The main stem is light green and covered in purple spots.” You can see a splotchy stem on the right side of this image.

After the blooming period, the foliage turns yellow, and the stems may look mostly red, rather than splotchy.

I struggle to photograph poison hemlock flowers, which “span only 1/8″ (3 mm.) across when they are fully open.” This plant has buds on the verge of opening as well as clusters of flowers in full bloom.

More flowers open:

Iowa wildflower Wednesday: Poison hemlock

Getting a clear view of the green fruit as it develops is also challenging. These plants have some clusters of flowers open and other clusters of green seed pods.

Eradicating poison hemlock is not easy. Illinois Wildflowers advises, “In removing this plant from a given area, don’t pull it out using your bare hands. It is better to wear washable gloves while hand-pulling a limited number of plants. For large areas of infestation, it is best to apply broadleaf herbicides or mow down the plants during the spring shortly before they develop flowers.”

Nadia Hassani wrote on The Spruce website,

Small first-year seedlings can be removed by hand. After a rain when the soil is moist is best to remove the entire tap root. You might have to use a trowel or a shovel if the rosette is already big.
If you are dealing with a heavy infestation and a large area, mowing the infestation repeatedly helps to weaken the plants. Mowing must be done in the early summer before the plant has set seeds, otherwise you are dispersing the seeds even more. Mowing in the late summer after poison hemlock has gone into see[d] also poses a greater health hazard.
If you cannot get the infestation under control manually, it is best to use a broad-spectrum herbicide in the first year of the plant’s life cycle.7 Keep in mind that it will also kill all the other plants so apply it in a highly targeted way and when there is no wind to avoid herbicide drift. Applying an herbicide does not prevent seeds that are already in the soil from germinating (poison hemlock seeds remain viable for up to six years)8 so you will likely have to repeat the herbicide application when new seedlings emerge.
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I hate to advocate for herbicide in any context. But look what can happen if you don’t get poison hemlock under control. This colony is growing in a retention basin just steps away from the parking lot of Clive elementary school, my alma mater (which is now called Clive Learning Academy). I’m talking about the taller plants that are turning yellow.

Here’s the view from the other direction. I believe the poison hemlock surrounding that cluster of eastern cottonwood trees in the background likely provided the seed base for the plants now growing in the retention basin. I’ve seen poison hemlock around those trees since I learned to identify the plant a decade or so ago.

As I mentioned above, poison hemlock does well on disturbed ground, so this European invader would have easily found a foothold after the West Des Moines school district built a circle drive behind Clive school.

Moving closer to those trees, which are growing next to the bike trail that runs through Windsor Heights along North Walnut Creek, you can see the poison hemlock more clearly.

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Iowa

Deaths on Iowa roads dropped in 2024. But not enough for distracted driving law advocates.

Published

8 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Deaths on Iowa roads dropped in 2024. But not enough for distracted driving law advocates.

Iowa saw a slight drop in traffic fatalities last year, but the Iowa State Patrol, bicycling advocates and lawmakers hope to reduce those numbers significantly in 2025 by passing a bill that would ban electronic devices while driving.

There were 354 deaths on Iowa’s roads in 2024, down from 378 the year before, according to data from the Iowa Department of Transportation. Yet that number is too high, officials say, as they make a renewed push this legislative session for lawmakers to pass what’s known as a hands-free bill, something Gov. Kim Reynolds called for in her Condition of State address last week.

“That’s 354 fatalities too many,” Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Alex Dinkla told the Register. “We don’t want to continue seeing fatalities happen in our roadways. We’re out here working the road and making sure our roadways are safe each and every day.”

It’s already illegal while driving in Iowa to use a cellphone “to write, send or view an electronic message,” like a text message. But a bill introduced in the Senate last week would fully ban drivers from using electronic devices like cellphones, except in voice activated or hands-free mode.

Beyond distracted driving, the Iowa State Patrol says drivers and passengers failing to wear seatbelts contributed to 43% of last year’s fatalities. One the Iowa State Patrol’s goals this year is to look at each of the 354 deaths to find any correlations, Dinkla said.

“We want to find out why these are happening or if there are certain areas where these fatalities are happening the most,” Dinkla said.

In November 2023, the Iowa State Patrol worked with the Iowa Department of Transportation to implement six traffic safety corridors across the state, Dinkla said. The six areas were marked in the top 1% for all of Iowa crashes from 2016-2020.

The safety corridors have signs that indicate that there is an increased law enforcement presence for the next 20 miles. Data shows there has been a reduction in crashes in the safety corridors, Dinkla said, and the Iowa State Patrol could implement more in the future.

Iowans support hands-free law, Iowa State Patrol finds

Looking forward to the Iowa legislative session, authorities are again asking lawmakers to pass a bill that would ban distracted driving. Drivers who use hand-held devices while driving are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves or others, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

“We’ve been working on trying to legislate and educate the public on the dangers of distracted driving,” Dinkla said. “We know that it’s a device that is causing crashes and it’s leading to crashes.”

Iowa authorities have been looking at other states that have passed hands-free bills, such as Minnesota and Illinois, who Dinkla said saw reductions in crashes after their laws went into effect.

The Iowa State Patrol conducted a survey at the Iowa State Fair and found that 85% of respondents were in support of hands-free driving, Dinkla said.

“The more we wait to not make Iowa a hands-free state, we’re going to continue to see fatalities rise from people driving in an inappropriate and inexcusable manner,” he said.

Reynolds said in her speech she supports hands-free driving legislation that would ban distracted driving. Legislation has previously passed in the Senate but stalled in the House.

“I want to address another important topic about cellphones that we need to finally resolve: hands-free driving,” Reynolds said as she also advocated for a cellphone ban in Iowa’s classrooms. “Cellphones are a distraction in the classroom; they’re deadly on the highway.”

In attendance was the family of Roland Taylor, a man who was killed by a distracted driver two years ago. Reynolds said the driver was on his phone seven out of the nine minutes he was driving before the crash.

The governor met Taylor’s wife and his two daughters over the summer, she said. The family told Reynolds they don’t want any other family to go what they’ve been through and have been strong advocates for a hands-free law.

“For the sake of all our loved ones on the road, let’s finally pass legislation that requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road and away from their phones,” Reynolds said.

House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said Democrats “stand ready to support” legislation.

“It’s safer for drivers, safer for workers and safer for people who are on the roads, walking or riding their bikes,” she said. “It is a no-brainer, and the reason it’s not getting out of the Iowa House is because Republicans can’t agree on what we need to do, and Democrats are ready to help.”

Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, agreed.

“The Senate passed it last time, 47 to 3,” she said. “I imagine the Senate will pass it again, and I would also add that it will save lives, and it’s been a law enforcement priority for some time.”

Top Republican lawmakers had generally positive reactions to Reynolds’ proposal for the legislation when speaking to reporters Tuesday night.

Senate lawmakers already have introduced their own bill, Senate File 22. The measure is sponsored by 17 Republican senators, or half the caucus.

Senate President Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, said, “it’s been the year for hands-free in the Senate for several years,” pointing to the Senate’s past passage of similar legislation.

“I think the governor coming out with it brings it to the forefront. You know, I think it’s important that that we look at the data, and the data say that distracted driving takes lives. And that’s not my opinion, it’s not the governor’s opinion, it’s reality. And I look forward to the House coming on board and seeing where we can go with that.”

House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said the House has made “multiple attempts” to pass different versions of the legislation over the years. But the measure has never passed the chamber. He said he expects to have a conversation about the bill again this year.

“I can say, for me personally I’ve kind of moved into a position of, if we can do something in a responsible way, and look at what some other states have done to find a balance, I think it’s something that I would be supportive of,” he said.

Hands-free bill would make Iowa the best place it can be, advocate says

Legislation banning the use of electronic devices while driving has failed to pass in the Iowa Legislature for several years, despite repeated advocacy efforts from law enforcement, and other groups, such as cyclists.

Luke Hoffman, director the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, a statewide assemblage of cycling interests, said its agenda this year is topped by an all-out push to pass long-sought legislation requiring that drivers’ use of communications devices like cellphones be hands-free while they’re at the wheel.

Hoffman has been an advocate for banning distracted driving for a long time and was even involved in a crash while cycling last summer, he told the Register. A truck whose driver was distracted by his dog swerved and sideswiped Hoffman, who managed to stay upright but suffered shock and bruising.

Hoffman has spoken to families that were affected by distracted drivers and has been trying to support the hands-free bill for the safety of those on the road, he said.

“I was very cognizant of the impacts and had seen the personal results of a lack of this law, but it was a different thing to be personally impacted,” Hoffman said. “I think it definitely needs to be done for our state if we want to make it the best place to live, work and play.”

The hands-free bill would provide safety and peace of mind, Hoffman said. The coalition has been fervidly supporting officials who want to make streets safer for Iowans.

Hoffman said hearing Reynolds support the law in the Condition of State address brought tears to his eyes. “Me and my fiancee both jumped from our seats and yelled because we were so excited,” Hoffman said.

He said it was a culmination of a very emotional process after hearing the many tragic stories from families who have been impacted by distracted drivers.

“Hands-free to me means making Iowa the best place it can be, it means making people have peace of mind and feel safe, it means justice for victims of families that have been impacted by this and it means moving our state forward so we that can focus all the other things we need to do,” Hoffman said.

José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com or follow him on X @mendiola_news.

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Iowa

Iowa women fall to Oregon 49-50

Published

15 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

EUGENE, Oregon (KCRG) – It came down to the wire, but the Iowa women fell just short against the Oregon Ducks in Matthew Knight Arena.

Iowa led most of the game, going into the final 10 minutes with a 41-35 advantage, but a late surge put Oregon ahead of the Hawkeyes. The Ducks were able to hold on and edge past the Hawkeyes 49-50.

Sydney Affolter earned a double-double, scoring 10 points and getting a career-high 15 rebounds. Addi O’Grady had 10 points and 2 rebounds.

Up next, the Hawkeyes travel to Alaska Airlines Arena to play the Washington Huskies on Wednesday, January 22

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Iowa

Top 15 Iowa high school boys basketball power rankings

Published

23 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Here is a look at this week’s High School on SI Top 15 Iowa high school boys basketball power rankings for the week of Jan. 20. To be eligible, you must be ranked in the Top 5 of the class rankings:

1. West Des Moines Valley (10-2)

Previous rank: 5

Next game: Jan. 21 at Ankeny Centennial

2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (9-2)

Previous rank: 4

Next game: Jan. 21 at Dubuque Hempstead

3. Clear Lake (10-0)

Previous rank: 3

Next game: Jan. 20 at Algona

4. Grand View Christian (13-0)

Previous rank: 6

Next game: Jan. 21 at West Marshall