# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 19 - **Habitat:** Common Hedge Parsley typically grows in fields, roadsides, and grassy areas. - **Also known as:** Cow's Parsley, Field Parsley, Hedge Parsley, Wild Parsley ![Common Hedge Parsley](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Torilisarvensis1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stickpen, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Torilisarvensis1.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Apiales - **Family:** Apiaceae - **Genus:** Torilis ## 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 - **Hitchhiker Seeds:** Common Hedge Parsley has tiny, hooked bristles on its seeds that help it hitch rides on animals, spreading far and wide. - **Disturbed Ground Dweller:** Common Hedge Parsley can quickly colonize disturbed soils, giving it an advantage over slower-growing plants. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-mouse) (*Mus musculus*) — eats fallen seeds ## Traits - [Herbaceous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## 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? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### 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 ## Where to spot - [Alder Creek Grove](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alder-creek-grove) — California, US · Forest - [Blake Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blake-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Botanical Research Institute of Texas](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanical-research-institute-of-texas) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden - [Coloma](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/coloma) — California, US · Neighborhood - [Columbia Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbia-canal) — South Carolina, US · Historic Site - [Haskell-Baker Wetlands](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/haskell-baker-wetlands) — Kansas, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see Common Hedge Parsley](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-hedge-parsley) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Hedge Parsley: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-hedge-parsley)