common cowparsnip

Heracleum maximum

Common cowparsnip is a tall plant with big, green leaves and white flowers that look like umbrellas. It grows in sunny places and can be found near rivers and streams.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The common cowparsnip has large, deeply-lobed leaves and towering, hollow stems, topped with broad, flat-topped clusters of tiny white flowers. Its impressive height and umbrella-like flower heads make it a distinctive sight in meadows and woodlands.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderApialesFamilyApiaceaeGenusHeracleum

common cowparsnip

Interesting facts

Its giant leaves can create cool shade for small forest creatures on a sunny day!

Native Americans once used its young stems as a spring vegetable!

The plant's tough, hollow stems were sometimes used to make whistles!

You can sometimes see ladybugs resting on its wide, flat flower clusters.

Special abilities

Common cowparsnip has sap that irritates skin in sunlight, helping it deter hungry animals from eating its leaves.

Common cowparsnip has large, flat flower clusters that act like a giant landing pad, attracting many insect pollinators.

Common cowparsnip has sturdy, hollow stems that help it grow tall quickly, reaching sunlight effectively.

Measurements & details

Height: 100-300 cm
Spread: 50-150 cm
Flower Size: 0.5-1.5 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to mid-summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: Moderate
Lifecycle: Biennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

attracted to its large flower clusters

pollinates

Two-spotted bumble bee

Bombus bimaculatus

important native pollinator for its flowers

eaten by

White-tailed deer

Odocoileus virginianus

young plants are sometimes browsed by deer

Traits

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Cluster Flower

Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.

Summer Blooming

Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.

Broadleaf Tree

Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates.

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Rapid Growing

Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.