Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa
Also called Parsnips
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitLeave it in the ground until after a hard frost. Cold is what turns the starch to sugar.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 4 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a cold winter RHS H5, to -15°C
- Size
- 0.3 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Biennial
- Origin
- Eurasia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleHarmful if eaten, and irritates skin
Foliage and sap. Safe to eat: the root, cooked.
HandlingTake care handling it
Sap plus sunlight burns skin — cover your arms when cutting the tops.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- The oldest outer leaves take on a dull bronze-red cast while the crown still looks well — the larvae are already working into the shoulder of the root.Carrot fly · pest
- A rusty orange-brown stain spreading down from the crown on the shoulder that stands proud of the soil, after a wet autumn.Parsnip canker · disease