The glorious swathes of cow parsley currently seen alongside our country roads, although looking rather pretty, are apparently dominating the verges due to the increase in the soil’s fertility.  This is due to local council’s leaving grass cuttings in place which then adds nutrients to the soil.  Wild flowers need infertile soil to grow otherwise the more robust plants will dominate.  Cow parsley has increased in the UK by over 50%.  The most dominant plant is the nettle followed by the bramble, with cow parsley coming in third place.  These three plants love nutrient rich soil.

The cow parsley flowers sit on top of tall hollow stems.  They are large flat heads made up of a profusion of tiny white flowers.  It is also known as Queen Anne’s lace apparently because Queen Anne would often tour the

country during the plant’s flowering season and she assumed that her subjects had decorated the roads with lace to welcome her.  The stems and leaves can be eaten and it has a slightly aniseed-like flavour.  It belongs to a family of plants commonly known as the carrot family which includes coriander, parsnip, parsley and carrots.  However, it also includes hemlock, which looks very similar.  Hemlock is incredibly toxic, so if you’re not sure, don’t pick it and certainly don’t eat it.  The lethal dose for an adult is about 100mg which is about 6-8 leaves, so beware.

Just after the appearance of cow parsley comes hogweed, similar but rather chunkier and without the delicacy of cow parsley.  Hogweed flowers in exactly the same places as cow parsley and will continue to flower until

September.  It can grow to around 2m and its stem is thick, hollow and covered in short stiff hairs.  The flowers are umbrella shaped and white although they can also be tinged with pink.  Smell the flowers however, and you will realise why it

has been named ‘hogweed’ – it stinks of pigs.   The stems when dry make great pea shooters.  Again the leaves are edible, but given the similarity to hemlock, I have advised the Tribe to stay away from any hedgerow tasting, particularly as I spent a week or so convincing them that hogweed was hemlock … all very confusing.