Common Hedge Parsley
ExplorePlants
Common Hedge Parsley
torilis arvensis
Common Hedge Parsley is a tall, green plant with beautiful white flowers that attract butterflies! Kids can spot it growing in fields and along roadsides, making it a fun plant to discover during nature walks.
Habitat: Common Hedge Parsley typically grows in fields, roadsides, and grassy areas.
Appearance
The Common Hedge Parsley has delicate, fern-like green leaves and produces clusters of small, white, lace-like flowers. Its distinguishing feature is the bristly, burr-like seeds that cover its stems and can easily attach to fur or clothing.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderApialesFamilyApiaceaeGenusTorilis
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
19
Interesting facts
It belongs to the carrot family, which includes many edible herbs and vegetables!
Its seeds are like nature's velcro, sticking to almost anything they touch.
The tiny flowers are arranged in umbrella-shaped clusters, called umbels!
This plant is often mistaken for dangerous look-alikes, like poison hemlock!
Special abilities
Ability
Hitchhiker Seeds
Common Hedge Parsley has tiny, hooked bristles on its seeds that help it hitch rides on animals, spreading far and wide.
Ability
Disturbed Ground Dweller
Common Hedge Parsley can quickly colonize disturbed soils, giving it an advantage over slower-growing plants.
Ability
Herbivore Defender
Common Hedge Parsley has hairy stems and leaves that may deter some herbivores from munching on its foliage.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 30-100 cm
- Spread
- 20-50 cm
- Flower Size
- 0.2-0.4 cm
- Bloom Season
- Late spring to early autumn
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- None
- Lifecycle
- Biennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
collects nectar and pollen
pollinates
Common Banded Hoverfly
Syrphus ribesii
visits flowers for nectar
eaten by
House Mouse
Mus musculus
eats fallen seeds
Traits
Herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants with soft stems that typically die back to the ground at the end of the growing season.
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Grassland
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
Diurnal
Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
Pollinator
Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.
Also known as
Cow's ParsleyField ParsleyHedge ParsleyWild Parsley
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always check with an adult before touching or tasting wild plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Common Hedge Parsley?
The easiest way to identify Common Hedge Parsley is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How tall is Common Hedge Parsley?
30-100 cm
How wide does Common Hedge Parsley spread?
20-50 cm
How big are the flowers on Common Hedge Parsley?
0.2-0.4 cm
When does Common Hedge Parsley bloom?
Late spring to early autumn
Is Common Hedge Parsley edible?
No
Is Common Hedge Parsley toxic?
None
What is Common Hedge Parsley's lifecycle?
Biennial
Snap Map
Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.
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Recent Snaps
May 28, 2026
Colomai
Photo attribution
(c) J. Roe, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
May 1, 2026
Columbia Canali
Photo attribution
(c) Raven Dandridge, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
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