Cow Parsnip, Eltrot
Heracleum sphondylium
Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae
What it is like
Heracleum sphondylium is a BIENNIAL/PERENNIAL growing to 1.8 m (6ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from July to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1.8
Where it is found
Moist grassland and ditches, by hedges and in woods.
Europe, including Britain, south of latitude 61° to western N. Africa, west and northern Asia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Stem and young shoots - raw or cooked. Used as a green vegetable, when harvested just as they are sprouting from the ground they are somewhat like asparagus in flavour. The rind is somewhat acrid. The leaf stems are tied in bundles and dried in the sun until they turn yellow. A sweet substance resembling sugar forms on the dried stems and is considered to be a great delicacy. The peduncles, before flowering, can be eaten as a vegetable or added to soups. Root - cooked. It is usually boiled.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The roots and the leaves are aphrodisiac, digestive, mildly expectorant and sedative. The plant is little used in modern herbalism but has been employed in the treatment of laryngitis and bronchitis. A tincture made from the aerial parts of the plant has also been used to relieve general debility, though it is uncertain how it works. The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and can be dried for later use.
Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.
Antipsoriatic: Used to treat psoriasis (an autoimmune disease that affects the skin).
Aphrodisiac: Increases the sexual appetite.
Digestive: Aids digestion.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Other
Rating: 2
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
A very easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil, doing best in moist soils or deep woodland. Grows well in full sun or partial shade. This species contains a large number of sub-species. Some, but by no means all of them, can cause various problems as detailed at the top of this record. Subspecies transylvanicum, pyrenaicum, montanum, orsinii and alpinum are distinctly phototoxic, subspecies sphondylium and sibiricum are not phototoxic whilst subspecies granatense and ternatum vary in their toxicity. A good bee plant. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down.
Propagating it: Seed - sow mid to late spring or early autumn in situ. Division in autumn.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Meadow; Hedgerow;
Habit: Biennial/Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Many members of this genus, including many of the sub-species in this species, contain furanocoumarins. These have carcinogenic, mutagenic and phototoxic properties. See below for more details.