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Parsnip
Habit (mature) · AnRo0002 / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
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Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa
A cool-season biennial root vegetable in the carrot family (Apiaceae), grown as an annual for its sweet, fleshy taproot. Native to Eurasia and widely naturalized across North America, it carries large compound leaves in a first-year rosette and — if left a second year — sends up tall stems topped with flat umbels of tiny yellow flowers. The root grows sweeter after a hard frost, but every part of the plant contains furocoumarins: sap on bare skin in sunlight causes severe blistering burns.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (63/100)
Edible
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
12-18" tall · 4" apart
Hardy in zones
2a-9b
brutally cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Warm
cool to warm summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/parsnip
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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