Hemlock water-dropwort or Parsnip: how to tell them apart?
Hemlock water-dropwort and Parsnip look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Hemlock water-dropwort
Oenanthe crocata
Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa
Hemlock water-dropwort has swollen roots that exude a saffron-yellow liquid when cut, whereas cultivated parsnip has no such coloured liquid. This is only one clue among others: if you have the slightest doubt about a wild root resembling a parsnip, never eat it — hemlock water-dropwort is one of the most toxic plants in Europe.
🍃 Leaves
Divided, bright green; submerged leaves finely cut, aerial leaves broader
Large, pinnate, toothed, hairy beneath
🌸 Flowers
Small white flowers in large compound umbels
Small, yellow, grouped in large umbels
🍎 Fruits
Small ribbed cylindrical fruits
Flat, oval, winged achene
🪵 Bark
Perennial with sturdy, hollow, ridged, hairless, light green flowering stems
Fleshy taproot, creamy white, with a mild, sweet flavour
📏 Size
80 cm to 1.5 m tall
30 to 50 cm in rosette, up to 1.50 m in flower in the 2nd year
🗺️ Habitat
Ditches, riverbanks and pond margins, wet and marshy meadows
Grown in the vegetable garden, deep, loose soils
⚠️ Toxicity
Extremely toxic, among the most dangerous plants in Europe — even more toxic than hemlock: a single piece of root can be fatal. Swollen roots exude a saffron-yellow liquid when cut, containing oenanthotoxin in very high concentration, especially in winter and early spring. Never eat, even in small quantities.
Edible root; the sap of the leaves can cause skin burns in sunlight (phytophotodermatitis), as in many members of the Apiaceae
🔎 And from the Parsnip side
Cultivated parsnip does not exude a coloured liquid when its root is cut, whereas hemlock water-dropwort exudes a characteristic saffron-yellow liquid. This is only one clue among others: if you have the slightest doubt about a wild root resembling a parsnip, never eat it — hemlock water-dropwort is one of the most toxic plants in Europe.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.