Wild parsnip is a biennial cool-season vegetable in the carrot (Apiaceae) family and is native to Eurasia. It can be found growing in open habitats such as prairies, savannas, fens and along roadsides. It has become a nuisance plant in parts of the USA. All parts of this plant contain furocoumarins which can make skin sensitive to light causing burns so be sure to wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants when dealing with it. Modern cultivars have been derived from this plant and are grown as annuals. The leaves are in a rosette the first year and are large and compound. In the second year, wild parsnip sends up a tall stem with clusters of yellow flowers, produces seeds and then dies. The plant is adaptive to a wide range of conditions but does need sun. Only the tap root from the first year is edible Control is by removing flower and seed heads to prevent reseeding and herbicides are effective on the basal rosettes. Click here to see a calendar of planting schedules, time-to-harvest, and recommended spacing. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Can be weedy and has the potential to be invasive. Poisonous and causes severe dermatitis.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Cool Season Vegetable; Edible; Poisonous; Vegetable
Life cycle
Biennial
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The large alternate compound leaves are in a basal rosette the first year and are single pinnate. They can be up to 18 inches long and 6 inches wide with long stems. They consist of 9 leaflets that are 3 inches long and 2 inches across. Leaflets can have margins with cleft lobes and coarse teeth. The upper compound leaves that appear in the second year are smaller with shorter stems. Leaflets are ovate or elliptic and 3 inches long by 2 inches wide.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower form
Umbel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Compound umbrels are 3-8 inch across and consist of tiny yellow flowers with 5 curled petals and 5 yellow stamens around a greenish-yellow center. Blooms laste spring to early summer.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Schizocarp
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is elongated and dry with a single winged seed that is dispersed by the wind
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Tall green hollow stems are glabrous, angular, and furrowed
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe
Distribution
Throughout
Wildlife value
The nectar attracts flies, wasps, beetles, and ants.
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Roots
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Schizocarp
Edibility
The fleshy sweet taproot from first-year plants is edible, either raw or baked, boiled, pureed, roasted, fried, grilled, or steamed. It can be used in soups and stews.