Homesteader thought the poison hemlock war was over, then a blackberry thicket proved otherwise

One Pacific Northwest homesteader shared their victory in a fight with poison hemlocks just moments before immediately discovering that a blackberry thicket was still hiding more of the invasive plant.

What looked like satisfying cleanup footage at the start of the video became a reminder that stubborn weeds can keep resurfacing even after a property seems dramatically improved.

@catdaddyxo The war was supposed to be over. It was not over. #farmer #invasiveplants #satisfying #homestead #pacificnorthwest ♬ original sound - catdaddyxo

In the recent TikTok from the owner of a 10-acre farm, his embankment looked far better than it had when poison hemlock had previously taken over the area.

By the end of the clip, though, the creator was conceding, "I'd say we've won the battle but the war is still raging on." He added, "The war was supposed to be over. It was not over."

Earlier, while pulling stalks and narrating the work, he had briefly sounded relieved: "There used to be so much. I don't see any." The homesteader even said, "This is the last one. The last of its kind. The last monster poison hemlock," only to find more plants tucked into the blackberries. 

Poison hemlock does not necessarily stay gone after a big removal effort. More plants can keep appearing in rough soil and thorny brush.

The video also underscored that invasive plants can become a shared problem between neighboring properties. While working, the creator complained, "My neighbor's not doing anything about his poison hemlock. It's like he's farming it." 

They said the embankment next door was still packed with the plant and warned that it would probably spread back over. One commenter suggested, "Go ask if you can help them take it out for your neighbor, especially since they have kids! Will prevent you from having it come onto your property too!"

The blackberries also made the work tougher. After getting caught in the brambles, the creator joked, "I don't have any of the right attire for this," and later added, "I got my gloves like 20 feet away from me."

Another offered the kind of dark humor longtime gardeners will likely recognize: "Only 20 more years of the same! A noble cause though my friend!"

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