Meadowparsnip, Meadow-parsnip
Thaspium barbinode
Family: Apiaceae
What it is like
Thaspium barbinode is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1.2
Where it is found
Mesic black soil prairies, openings in forests and woodland borders, sandy savannas, rocky bluffs, and banks of rivers and lakes. This plant occurs in prairies to a greater extent than has been realized in the past.
Native to US
Conservation Status: Not Listed.
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 2
Invertebrates shelter: beneficial for insects and other arthropods. Nectary: provides nectar or pollen for beneficial insects. Many kinds of insects are attracted to the flowers, especially short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, and beetles. The caterpillars of the butterfly Papilio polyxenes asterias (Black Swallowtail) feed on the foliage and flowers. This plant is not known to be toxic, and it is probably consumed occasionally by various mammalian herbivores, although information about this is limited.
How it is grown
Prefers full or partial sun and mesic (environment or habitat containing a moderate amount of moisture) conditions. The soil can contain significant amounts of loam, sand, or rocky material. Light shade is tolerated, but growth will be less robust and flowering less abundant. Hairy-Jointed Meadow Parsnip develops rapidly during the spring, and is usually taller than the surrounding plants when the blooming period begins. After flowering, the condition of the plant rapidly deteriorates. 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
Best place to grow:
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
None Known. Possibly mistaken for Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), a highly invasive species found across Minnesota, is a much larger plant (often 4-5+ feet tall) with a larger flower cluster (to 8 inches across), duller, somewhat greenish-yellow flowers, once-compound leaves with up to 15 leaflets.
Its other names
Local names
Hairy-Jointed Meadow Parsnip, meadowparsnip, meadow-parsip.
Synonyms
Ligusticum barbinode Michx. T. barbinode var. barbinode