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Cow Parsley

©Philip Precey

Cow parsley

The umbrella-like clusters of white, frothy flowers of cow parsley are a familiar sight along roadsides, hedgerows and woodland edges.

Scientific name

Anthriscus sylvestris

When to see

May to June

Species information

Category

Statistics

Height: up to 1m
Common.

About

Cow parsley is a hollow-stemmed, tall plant that grows rapidly in the summer before dying back. It likes shady habitats in particular, and can be found decorating woodland edges, roadside verges and hedgerows with masses of frothy, white flowers. These flower umbels (umbrella-like clusters) appear from May until June.

How to identify

Cow parsley has large, flat umbrellas of small, white flowers, and large, fern-like leaves. One of several common members of the carrot family, this is the most abundant, and the earliest-flowering of the umbellifers.

Distribution

Widespread.

Did you know?

Cow parsley is attractive to a huge number of creatures, from orange-tip butterflies to marmalade hoverflies, and even rabbits. It is part of the Apiaceae family, more commonly know as umbellifers - a large family consisting of the celery, carrot and parsley variants of which there are over 3000 species.