My War on Wild Parsnip

In full bloom. Notice the multiple flower clusters.

By James Wilson

For a number of years I have been engaged in a losing struggle against a weed: wild parsnip. Originally brought to North America for its edible root, it long ago escaped containment and began to travel. I’ve seen it growing happily along roads and streams throughout Fundy Albert. A good portion now occupies the lawns and fields around my house. Growing to a height of six feet and producing several clusters of small yellow flowers, it isn’t exactly unattractive but it is everywhere. 

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 “Why is this a problem?”, I hear you asking. You see, wild parsnip has a more famous relative: giant hogweed. Wild parsnip and giant hogweed are both members of the carrot family and a common trait of this family is that they produce a chemical in their sap which makes the skin hyper-sensitive to sunlight. The result is a nasty blister. I wasn’t always overly concerned about this particular weed. In my youth their dried stalks were great for sword fights in the winter. But as the years have gone by, they have become more common and moved into areas where contact with it was more likely. I’ve received a few painful blisters on my legs over the years from brushing up against the leaves unknowingly but couldn’t pinpoint the source. My nephew found the answer. He was helping his grandmother weed her flower garden one day… with his bare hands. Wild parsnip had already established itself and needless to say his hands were thoroughly blistered. 


 Clearly something needed to be done to rid it from the Wilson Homestead. That was over three years ago and I am no farther ahead. This weed has several advantages over me:

• Its seeds (which each plant produces hundreds of) are easily carried by wind and water.
• The plant grows for two years with it keeping a low profile the first year of growth. As a result I would at the bare minimum need to keep every plant from going to seed for two years straight.
• It goes to seed around late-July when the sun is at its hottest (and I am at my least inclined to be outdoors).
• ​It will regrow from a cut stem repeatedly although this year I am experimenting with driving garden shears deep into the root stock like I’m trying to kill some sort of herbal vampire.

The first few leaves popping up in April.

 If there is any good news to be had it's that it doesn’t tolerate shade well. As a result bushes and shrubs can bully it into submission. But an open field will slowly become a field of yellow-topped stalks, unpleasant for people to travel through.


​My only recommendation is to not let it become established on your property in the first place. Good luck.