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Annual Biennial

Pastinaca sativa

parsnip

A tap-rooted biennial, the wild parsnip has a strong characteristic fragrance, its solid or hollow, ridged stems reaching 1.2m in height with pinnate, lobed and segmented green leaves. In summer it bears yellow umbel flowers Cultiivars of the wild parsnip are easy to grow, need little maintenance and can be left in the ground until you’re ready to use them. Sow in spring and you’ll have parsnips from autumn and, depending on the variety, you can be harvesting right through until February/March - so with some planning you’ll be eating home grown parsnips for your Christmas roast

Other common names

parsnip
queen weed
see moremadnep
Wild Parsnip

Synonyms

Peucedanum sativum

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Chalk

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Apiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright, Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Harmful to skin with sunlight. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling Pets (dogs): Harmful to skin with sunlight - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: A small genus of flowering, biennial plants from the carrot family. The cultivated species of parsnip is well-known for its edible, sweet, cream-yellow taproot. Flowers are produced in umbels, carried at the top of upright stems in second year
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow on an open, sunny site with deep, light soil. Keep the soil evenly moist to prevent roots splitting. Add well-rotted manure the previous autumn, especially if growing on a clay or chalk soil. Chalk and clay aren’t ideal for growing parsnips so you could also try deep containers. The ideal soil pH is 6.5-7 so adjust pH where necessary. See parsnip cultivation for more information.

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

No pruning required..

Pests

May be susceptible to carrot fly.

Diseases

May be susceptible to parsnip canker.

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