Wild Parsnip - Pastinaca sativa L.

Above: Wild Parsnip in field in the Prairie Moraine Dog Park in Verona, Wisconsin. (6/21/23).

Wild Parsnip - Pastinaca sativa L. (Invasive/restricted)

Wild Parsnip grows from 1' to up to 5’ tall. It was introduced and has naturalized so that it grows in almost every county in Wisconsin. It blooms from June to July and is considered ecologically invasive.

Wild Parsnip is sometimes confused with Golden Alexander that is an earlier bloomer.

The shoots and leaves of Wild Parsnip must be handled with care, as its sap contains furanocoumarins, phototoxic chemicals that cause blisters on the skin when it is exposed to sunlight, a condition known as phytophotodermatitis. It shares this property with many of its relatives in the carrot family.

Wild Parsnip is in the Apiaceae family that includes mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus Apium and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers.

Other names include: parsnip, poison parsnip, common parsnip, yellow parsnip.

Many consider the name Poison Parsnip is to be misnomer as, technically, it is the same plant as cultivated Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). Many forage for Wild Parsnip. Note: Authentic Wisconsin images should not be used for forage identification. Collecting and consuming wild plants and mushrooms is inherently risky and can lead to illness, injury, or death. It is critical that there is a 100% accurate species identification and that the forager knows the proper handling and cooking of the species.

Above: Wild Parsnip in field in the Prairie Moraine Dog Park in Verona, Wisconsin.

Above: On the left, Wild Parsnip umbel, stem and leaves (the stem is angular and grooved). On the right, Golden Alexander umbel, stem and leaves (the stem is light green, hairless, and shiny). .

For more information on the Wild Parsnip visit Wikipedia.

Or, visit the UW-Madison Wisconsin State Herbarium website page about Wild Parsnip.

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