Fly poison is a plant with wide leaves and white flowers clustered on top of a 1- to 3-foot-tall leafless stalk and it is a rather striking plant.

Flowers bloom mid-June through July in Carbon County. Fly poison is similar in appearance to another North American wildflower called the Eastern turkeybeard.It can be found growing in the same areas as fly poison.When we first moved up to Carbon County and got settled in our new home, my son, Andy, and I enjoyed roaming the woods in search of new things to learn about. When we discovered this plant growing in our yard, I had no idea what it was. I had never seen a plant like this and we didn't have the Internet back then.So after taking a few pictures of our new discovery and getting them developed, we headed to Carbon County Environmental Center in hopes someone there could tell us the name of this plant.Susan Gallagher took one look at the photos and said, "Oh, that's fly poison!" Not being a fan of flies, I thought this plant would lessen the population around our property, which to my way of thinking was definitely a good thing. She loaned us a few books so we could learn more about this interesting plant and away we went.So what did we discover?Fly poison is one of the first common perennial plants in the woods of Carbon and surrounding counties to emerge in early spring. It is typically found in dry to moist woods, meadows, and open fields. It can be found up and down the east coast. It cannot self-pollinate and is pollinated mostly by beetles.As you would expect, any plant called "fly poison" must be toxic. Although all parts of the plant contain toxins, the bulbs are the most toxic. These toxins affect sheep and cattle when ingested. Other livestock can be affected, including goats and rabbits.Underneath its deceptively lovely flowers, fly poison contain toxins that can cause birth defects and sometimes death in livestock. Because this plant emerges so early in the spring, animals may eat this plant because other plants haven't begun to grow yet and aren't available. Ingestion of this plant will cause vomiting and labored breathing, loss of coordination and staggering.This plant is also toxic to humans if ingested. Effects vary with a person's age, weight and overall health. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Plants can also absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.The Cherokee used the plant both as a medicinal and as a toxin; the root was ground to make a poultice for application to treat severe itching and alternatively mixed into an otherwise tasty treat as a means to poison crows."Fly Poison" earned its name because many early settlers crushed it in a bowl with honey to attract and kill flies.I was not about to crush up this plant and mix it with anything to kill flies because I was a little worried about coming into contact with this plant.Also, I was worried with all the song birds, crows, chipmunks and squirrels in our yard, not to mention numerous other animals, that if I did set out a mix of fly poison and honey that I might intentionally poison one of the many visitors to our backyard.After all, I am a pretty good aim with the fly swatter.Carbon County Environmental Education Center is located on 151 E. White Bear Drive, Summit Hill. Call 570-645-8597 for information.