Nuttall's prairie parsley
Polytaenia nuttallii

Family: Polytaenia

What it is like

Polytaenia nuttallii is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.4 m (1ft 4in) 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) and medium (loamy) 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 dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Prairies, plains, savannas, open woods

Native to the central and midwestern United States.

Conservation Status: Not Listed.

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Foragers report seeds are an acceptable substitute for dill in flavor, the leaves can be boiled, and the tap root, supposedly in desperate times, could be boiled or grilled, but has poor favor. Given the similarity in appearance with many other plants, native and non, we would not suggest eating any part of Prairie Parsley.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 2

Used in habitat restoration projects in prairies and it may be planted as an ornamental. Tiny flowers attract small bees, miscellaneous flies, and occasional wasps. Prairie Parsley is one of the species in the Carrot family that the oligolectic bee, Andrena ziziae, visits for pollen and nectar. The caterpillars of a butterfly, Papilio polyxenes asterius (Black Swallowtail), feed on the foliage of this plant. Cattle and other mammalian herbivores browse readily on the non-toxic foliage.

How it is grown

A biennial or short-lived perennial. Easily mistaken for Wild Parsnip, an invasive non-native weed, however, this species has been in decline at least in the periphery of its range due to the destruction of native prairie for agricultural and commercial development. Prairie Parsley leaf looks like flat leaf or Italian parsley and is finely divided while Wild Parsnip leaf is not. Light Requirement: Sun, Part Shade. Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry, Dry. Bloom Color: Yellow. Bloom Time: Jun, Jul. 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.

Propagating it: Seed. Cold moist stratification used to simulate the real-world conditions a seed would receive outdoors after the frozen winter gives way to a warm, wet spring. Plant outdoors in the fall.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-6

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Prairie Parsley, Nuttall's prairie parsley,

Synonyms

No synonyms are recorded for this name.