A toxic native wildflower is surging in nature sightings
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Native Plants
That white, fluffy wildflower blooming in the shady edges of your local woods or park right now could be white snakeroot, a native plant that's toxic enough to have caused deadly 'milk sickness' in the 1800s when cows grazed on it.
White snakeroot is a native North American woodland plant with clusters of small white flowers that bloom in late summer and fall. Right now it's one of the most-observed plants on iNaturalist, with 723 confirmed sightings in a single week, likely because it's flowering and easy to spot along shaded trails and woodland edges. It's worth learning to recognize: the plant contains a toxin that can sicken livestock and, historically, humans who drank milk from cows that grazed on it.
Key Findings
723 research-grade observations of white snakeroot were logged on iNaturalist in one week
The species ranks among the most-observed plants on the platform during this period
White snakeroot contains tremetol, a toxin historically responsible for 'milk sickness' in humans via contaminated dairy
chevron_right Technical Summary
White snakeroot is showing up in huge numbers on iNaturalist this week, with 723 verified sightings logged by citizen scientists. It's a good reminder to know this native woodland plant on sight, since it's toxic to livestock and was historically linked to human illness through contaminated milk.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) — 723 observations this week
white snakeroot is among the most observed plant species this week with 723 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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