Wild Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa

Plant Data

Order:

Apiales

Family:

Apiaceae (Carrot)

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Flowers:

Yellow umbels to 10cm wide, no bracts.

Fruit:

Oval, flat and narrowly winged, up to 7mm long.

Leaves:

Once or twice pinnate, alternate leaves with toothed margins, approximately 40cm in length. The leaflets are broad and sometimes lobed.

Maximum Size:

100cm tall.

Foraging Notes:

The sap of the Parsnip contains high concentrations of phytosensitive chemicals called 'Furanocoumarins' so care must be taken when handling this plant. Touching the shoots and leaves may cause serious reactions to the skin such as severe blistering and burning. However, in spite of that, the root of the Parsnip is edible.
Never consume a wild plant unless you are 100% certain that it is safe to eat and you know that you have identified it correctly.

Aroma:

Smells pungent, similar to cultivated Parsnip.

Other Names:

Bird's-nest, Common Parsnip, Field Parsnip, Hart's-eye, Poison Parsnip.

Habitats:

Farmland, grassland, meadows, roadsides, wasteland.