Pastinaca sativa

RHS Plant Profile

parsnip

Other common names

heart's eye, queen weed, madnep, Wild Parsnip, moronen y moch

Synonyms

Peucedanum sativum

Annual Biennial

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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

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand, Chalk

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1 year
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand Chalk

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Neutral

Position

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): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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.