Cow Parsnip

Heracleum maximum

By James

(Gilbert)

Description:

Quite lanky, the cow parsnip, also known as ‘Indian celery’, has umbrella-like white flower clusters. (Deur 189-190) The leaves are relatively similar to maple, but they are compound, whereas maple is single-leaved. (Deur 189)

(Legler)

Traditional Uses:

Cow parsnip stem has traditionally been eaten raw or cooked with seal oil to dip in. More recently, the Quinault tribe has experimented with incorporating cow parsnip into baked goods and stir fries. It is an important food, full of nutrients. Poultices made of the leaves of this plant are also used on sore limbs, but the juices cause blisters under sunlight. (Deur 189) The Quileute and Makah tribes also use the blossoms for baskets, known to the Quileute as k’lūp’itbai. (Gunther and Janish 42)

(McDougall)

Growing Information:

According to some Quinault elders, it grows everywhere. It is especially prevalent in undisturbed open areas. WARNING!!! Do not take roadside plants due to toxic road runoff. Due to the juices, one should wear gloves while harvesting and harvest from younger plants. (Deur 190)

Works Cited

Deur, Douglas. Gifted Earth : the Ethnobotany of the Quinault and Neighboring Tribes. Corvallis, Oregon State UP, 2022.

This was my most helpful source. Most of my information came from this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

Gilbert, Rod. An image of two cow parsnip flowerheads. Burke Herbarium, Burke Museum, 2007, burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/photo.php?Photo=wtu027114&Taxon=Heracleum%20maximum&SourcePage=taxon. Accessed 2 May 2024.

This image shows great detail on the cow parsnip flowerhead. I used it as the first photo on my page.

Gunther, Erna, and Jeanne R. Janish. Ethnobotany of Western Washington : the Knowledge and Use of Indigenous Plants by Native Americans. Rev. ed ed., Seattle, U of Washington P, 1992.

This book had the names and the information about the baskets. I used it in the traditional uses section.

Legler, Ben. An image of a large area of cow parsnip. Burke Herbarium, 2011, burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/photo.php?Photo=wtu039556&Taxon=Heracleum%20maximum&SourcePage=taxon. Accessed 2 May 2024.

This picture both gives an angle from above and shows the leaf shape. I used it as the second photograph on the page.

McDougall, Susan. An image showing a very tall cow parsnip leaning over a lake. Burke Herbarium, 2022, burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/photo.php?Photo=wtu125988&Taxon=Heracleum%20maximum&SourcePage=taxon. Accessed 2 May 2024.

This photo shows, when juxtaposed with the others, the variety of habitats that the cow parsnip will grow in. I used it as the third photograph on my page.