NEN Gallery

The Cow Parsley is now starting to fruit and die back. A plant associated with early spring. It grows in masses along roadsides, on wasteland and field borders. Cow Parsley is the first of three look alike parsleys to flower. It flowers between April and early June. The branches to the flower heads are hairless and there are small bracts under the flowers. The flowers are white and the outer flowers in the flower heads have petals of differing sizes. Its erect furrowed stems are hollow. The leaves are divided in toothed segments. Unlike many of its close relatives the plant is harmless and the leaves which appear in early December have been used as animal food. Picture taken at Odell Great Wood, Bedfordshire - June 4th 2006