This plant is very invasive and can be a real problem for arable farmers as well as taking over roadside verges and hedgerow bases.
|Common Names||Wild Chervil, Cow Parsley|
|Scientific Name||Anthriscus sylvestris|
Fern like and a bit like flat leaved parsley. Can be slightly curled and hairy, pinnate and rough to the touch.
Many poisonous umbellifers like young Hemlock, Fools Parsley, Hemlock Water Dropwort and a couple of others. We don’t use Wild Chervil as its taste doesn’t warrant the risk of confusing it with other deadly members of its family. If you want to pick a parsley flavoured plant we recommend sticking to Ground Elder!
The adjacent picture is showing a Hemlock leaf.
A bit like parsley or carrot, mildly sweet but with grass in the background.
Like mild parsley with a slight licorice or aniseed hint but also a touch of grass.
The leaves are one of the first to emerge after a severe winter, otherwise they continue to grow all year.
Chervil has been used in various folk medicines. It was claimed to be useful as a digestive aid and for lowering high blood pressure.
Apparently for baiting slugs!