Parsnip Flowers

At the end of winter I had a couple of parsnips left and, as I was sick of eating them by that point, decided to leave them to flower. Like carrots, parsnips are biennials which flower in the second year after sowing. They're also great companion plants because hover flies, with their aphid eating larvae, love them.

The plants are about 5 foot tall and are very similar to wild parsnips which you can find growing all over the country. The flowers aren't at all showy to look at but the plant as a whole is quite striking. It'll soon be surround by winter squash plants so will be great to add some level and visual interest to that bed before the pumpkins and squash start growing and steal the show.

Comments

[Liz]

Thanks for the warning Nigel! I'll be extra careful when we cut them at the end of the year.

[Nigel Johnson]

Be very careful when cutting the flowers down. They have the same toxic effect as Giant Hogweed. ie can cause severe skin blistering when skin in contact with the sap is exposed to light.

[Liz]

Limanthes or Poached Egg Plants are nice little flowers which don't take up much room at all and are another hover fly magnet! If you're quick you could get some in for this year - as a rule they like to be in by the end of May.

[Frankie]

It's a good idea. I'm sure most of us have enough room to let one or two plants flower.

However, I haven't had much luck with my carrots and parsnips. Can you recommend any other plants that my garden would benefit from letting go wild? I'm keen on luring in those hover flies. How about onions?