Wild Parsnip

Wild Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa

Wild Parsnip is the same species that you will find in the produce section of your local grocery.  It is closely related to the carrot, which is the same species as Queen Anne's Lace.  Like the carrot, the cultivated variety has been selected over the years to produce a more useful root for the kitchen.  Of course it hasn't caught on like the carrot, but it's still good.

Wild Parsnip is not native to North America but is quite common in Indiana.




Note the grooved stem

It can grow in big patches