Cow parsnip – Heracleum maximum, April 11th 2025
Cow parsnip is toxic, and coming into contact with its sap can give you a rash or cause blistering if you're also exposed to sunlight (the skin effects are no joke and can leave you with scarring or hyperpigmentation for a long time). But the plant has also traditionally been used for food (the new shoots and young leaf stalks), as a dye (the roots), as a mosquito-repellent (the flowers), to make instruments and tools (the stems), as a tonic for colds (the leaves), and for a variety of other purposes.
















