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Cowbane
Toxic🐾Wasserschierling · (Cicuta virosa)
Carrot family (Apiaceae)
Description
Cowbane is a perennial wetland plant 0.5 to 1.5 metres tall, with a hollow, often purple-streaked stem and a thick, chambered root tuber. Its two- to three-pinnate leaves and white umbrella-shaped flower clusters resemble many harmless members of the carrot family, which makes the plant especially dangerous. Cutting the tuber releases a yellowish, oily-smelling sap. It grows along ditches, pond margins and marshes across northern and central Europe. It is regarded as one of the most poisonous plants in Europe.
🌿 Risk of confusion — read before wild-harvesting!
DEADLY: Contains cicutoxin; even small amounts cause violent convulsions and epileptic seizures within minutes, followed by respiratory paralysis. High risk of confusion with edible Apiaceae such as parsnip or celery — never touch or ingest.
DEADLY: Contains cicutoxin; even small amounts cause violent convulsions and epileptic seizures within minutes, followed by respiratory paralysis. The root tuber is the most toxic part. High risk of confusion with edible Apiaceae such as parsnip or celery — never touch or ingest. ASPCA classification (accessed 2026-08-10): toxic to dogs and cats. The ASPCA classifies the whole genus this way.
Harvested part: No harvest — deadly poisonous
- CicutoxinOther
Highly toxic C17 polyyne; a non-competitive GABA-A receptor antagonist that causes convulsions and respiratory paralysis.
- CicutolOther
Accompanying C17 polyacetylene from the tuber, structurally related to cicutoxin.
- Polyacetylene / PolyineOther
Class of unsaturated C17 compounds responsible for the neurotoxic effect.
- [3]MonographCicutoxin — chemistry and GABA-A antagonist mechanism (Wikipedia)(accessed: 2026-06-24)
- [4]MonographASPCA Animal Poison Control — Cowbane (Cicuta species)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [5]MonographCliniTox Giftpflanzen — Cicuta virosa L.: sehr stark giftig +++ (Institut für Veterinärpharmakologie und -toxikologie, Universität Zürich)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [1]WikipediaWasserschierling – Wikipedia(accessed: 2026-06-24)
- [2]WikipediaCicuta virosa – Wikipedia(accessed: 2026-06-24)