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Wild Parsnip

Wild Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa

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How common: Common

Invasive alien species

Wild Parsnip is a tall, two‑year plant in the carrot family with wide, flat-topped clusters of small yellow flowers. It often grows along roadsides, railways and waste ground after escaping from gardens and fields. Its sap can burn the skin in sunlight, so avoid contact.

Did you know?

  • It’s the same species as the garden parsnip; cultivated plants can escape and grow wild.
  • Unlike many relatives in the carrot family, its flowers are yellow.

About the species

Identification

Up to about 1 m tall. Stems are hollow, smooth or slightly hairy. Leaves along the stem are divided into several pairs of oval pieces with toothed edges; the end piece is often three-lobed. In late summer it carries many broad, flat-topped clusters of small yellow flowers, later forming flat, round, pale seed discs. Smells strongly when crushed. Different from dill or fennel by its broad leaflets (not thread-like), and from cow parsley and many relatives by yellow, not white, flowers. Flowers in Finland in July–August.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

yards and roadsides

Toxicity

Its sap can burn the skin in sunlight – do not touch it with bare hands. Source: HUS Poison Information Centre (Finland), tel. 0800 147 111.

Flowering

Jul–Aug

About the habitat

Prefers open, sunny, disturbed places such as roadsides, field edges, railways, waste ground and the edges of gardens. Spreads only by seed. Most common in southwest and southern Finland; scattered records up to the Tornio area.

Sources

Photo: John Barkla, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/5938465517

Text: Pinkka: Maatalouslajintuntemus - Apiaceae, Rhamnaceae, Vitaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Rubiaceae, Oleaceae ja Caprifoliaceae, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39244

Text: Pinkka: BIO-516 Hyötykasvit - Vihannes- ja salaattikasveja, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39244

Text: Pinkka: BIO-515 Etelä-Suomen putkilokasvit - Matricaria-Platanthera, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39244

Text: FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39244

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palsternakka

See also