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Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.)

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Wild Parsnip
Photo © mark-groeneveld, CC BY 4.0.

Summary

An introduced perennial, from which cultivated parsnips are derived. Established across North America and invasive in the northeast and Midwest.

Range - Expand

LegendColor
Introduced
Introduced or Not Present

This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.

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Habitat

Found in moist to mesic, sunny conditions, usually in fertile, loamy soil. Found in both anthropogenic and natural habitats; in the east it is more common in anthropogenic habitats, mainly meadows, pastures, and other fields, as well as disturbed ground along roadsides and railroad tracks, vacant lots, and waste areas. In the Midwest it is also able to invade black soil prairies and savannas with rich soil.

Pastinaca sativa (Wild Parsnip) | Illinois Wildflowers (About This Site)

Pastinaca sativa (wild parsnip) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)

Pastinaca sativa | Go Botany (About This Site)

Pastinaca sativa | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)

Pastinaca sativa | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)

Pastinaca sativa | Missouri Plants (About This Site)

Wild Parsnip | Maryland Biodiversity Project (About This Site)

Pastinaca sativa (Wild Parsnip) | Minnesota Wildflowers (About This Site)

Photo gallery

Photo © mark-groeneveld, CC BY 4.0.
Photo © Evan M. Raskin, CC BY 4.0.
Photo © Andrea Wallace, CC BY 4.0.