Until recently this plant was regarded as a member of the genus Eupatorium, although it looks quite different to all other Eupatoriums. The foliage resembles stinging nettles (don`t be afraid, they do not sting!), the flowers are pure white and form small umbels. Flowering season is from summer to early autumn. This plant is poissonous if consumed in large amount (you will hardly do that - or do you have an inclination to feast upon your flower beds even if the plants don`t taste at all?).

In the early 19th century White Snakeroor caused the socalled `Milk Sickness` in the USA. This sickness showed for the first time when the valleys of the upper Ohio were colonized, where White Snakeroot is a common plant on moist pastures. The new settlers were mainly Europeans that were not familiar with this plant. They allowed their cattle to feed on pastures where White Snakeroot grew and so the poisson did stock up in the cattle and via milk and meat it was also consumed by humans. By constant consum a certain level was reached and the intoxication showed up. In todays USA Milk Sickness doesn`t occur anymore. Due to weed control there is no more White Snakeroot in the pastures and since milk is today processed in large diaries and the milk of countless cows is mixed before it reaches the consumer, possible single cases of intoxicated milk will show no effect at all.