Heracleum maximum

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Cow parsnip

A tall (4-10’ tall) deciduous perennial.

Cow parsnip has large leaves and can make a good accent plant for moist areas. Cut back as needed. Although plants may last only a few years, they will reseed themselves before they pass.

Butterflies (including Anise Swallowtail and Lorquin’s Admiral) and ladybugs love the flowers.

Large white flowers with a sweet fragrance in the Spring.

Previously named Heracleum lanatum

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Light, Moderate

Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand

Other: Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Bees, Attracts Birds, Deer Resistant

Container

D-40-O, D-40O, D-16, D-40, D-40S, TB4

Ecological Value

Larval food source for anise swallowtail butterfly, Spring Azure, Pale Swallowtail, Lorquin's Admiral. Nectar source for hummingbirds and seed for bushtits, finches.

Historical Uses

The young stalks were used by Native Americans as a vegetable.

Distribution

Native to California and is also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.

Elevation

Between 0 and 9000 feet

Communities

Yellow Pine/Red Fir/Lodgepole/Subalpine Forest, Foothill Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland

Habitat

Grows in wet areas, old meadows, woodlands, forest openings, grasslands, stream and river edges, and along roadsides.