Friday 12 July 2024


I think the yellow Umbellifer is Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), if so the precursor of our cultivated vegetable. Having said that I'm always a bit wary of identifying plants of the Umbelliferae aka Apicaceae family. Some are edible but it includes a selection of very toxic species- foragers beware! Indeed the sap of Wild Parsnip is reported to cause severe blistering by making the skin highly sensitive to sunlight, a condition known as phytophotodermatitis
 I'm pretty sure this is the mystery plant that has infested several of the borders at the music school this year. We assumed we were looking the first year's growth of a biennial and the leaves seem to correspond to P. sativa in full flower. I'm bound to say I weeded a good many by hand not always wearing gloves with no ill effects. Perhaps the young plants aren't sufficiently sappy? We are mystified how it arrived in such numbers. No doubt it is a prolific self-seeder but from where?
 In an herbaceous/mixed border we class it is a weed but it is attractive in the wild. And a big draw for flies and Red Soldier Beetles...