Our lower meadow will soon be a mass of Cow Parsnip. The large white flowers are just coming on – a sure sign that summer is just over the horizon. In the days when I was a schoolgirl and came north each June from California, the stands of Cow Parsnip along the road as we neared Oysterville always told me that we were “almost to Granny’s.”
I’m not sure why we call it “Cow Parsnip.” Most self-respecting cows steer clear of it. Somehow they must know (probably by the smell) that eating it will make their milk have an unpleasant taste. It often grows often along roadways or in “disturbed areas.” (Disturbed by grazing cattle?) It is invasive, but should not be confused with its cousin, Giant Hogweed, which is much larger and is on the Washington State List of Noxious Weeds.
Cow Parsnip’s botanical name is Heracleum maximum – the “heraculeum” coming from Hercules and referring to the very large size of all parts of the plant. It is also said that Hercules used the plants for medicinal purposes. I don’t know how that can be verified, but I have read that many Native American groups did use the plant for both medicine and food.
Perhaps the most common use was to make poultices to be applied to bruises or sores. Another handy use for
this time of year was made from an infusion of the flowers (which have an unpleasant odor) and was rubbed on the body to repel flies and mosquitoes.
But the plant, which is related to parsnips and carrots, is also edible – if properly prepared. By peeling the outer skins from the young stalks and leaf stems the strong flavor is avoided, yielding a celery-like vegetable with a sweetish flavor. The stems, which are hollow were dried to make drinking straws for the old or infirm and, apparently also – my favorite – to make flutes for children! As if all that were not enough, a yellow dye can be made from the roots.
The downside is that the juices of all parts of Cow Parsnip contain a photo-toxin that can act on contact with skin in combination with exposure to sunlight and can cause anything from a mild rash to a blistering, severe dermatitis, depending on the sensitivity of the individual. Sounds a lot like the poison oak I grew up with in the San Francisco Bay Area.
With Cow Parsnip, though, if the sun doesn’t hit it, there is no reaction. That must explain why I’ve gathered the big stalks for dried flower arrangements and never had a twinge. Bless the frequent cloud cover of Oysterville!
Call me crazy, but I think that Cow Parsnips (I didn’t know their name) are beautiful. Something grows along the trail to N. Head that I think is beautiful, too, and I don’t know if it is that or the Giant Hogweed. I think Noxious is a matter of opinion. Some consider Queen Ann’s Lace to be a weed and I like that, too.