SimplePlant

Apiaceae

Wild parsnip

Pastinaca sativa L.

Family
Apiaceae
Genus
Pastinaca

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsToxic
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Toxic

Toxic to young children (moderate). Toxic principle: furanocoumarins.

Signs: burns, blisters, erythema, rash, skin discoloration.

Wild parsnip: Pastinaca sativa Vallée de Grâce à Amiens (Somme), France
Photo: Olivier Pichard, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Is Wild parsnip safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Wild parsnip safe for cats?

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Wild parsnip safe for dogs?

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Wild parsnip safe for kids?

No. Our sources call Wild parsnip toxic to young children (moderate). Toxic principle: furanocoumarins. Signs: burns, blisters, erythema, rash, skin discoloration.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Common names

By language (76)
ang
Englisc more, Feldmore
Arabic
جزر أبيض, Parsnip, الجزر الابيض, جزر ابيض, سيسارون كبير
arz
جزر ابيض
Azerbaijani
Əkin cırhavucu
ba
Пастернак үләне
Bangla
পার্সনিপ
Basque
Txiribi
Belarusian
Пастарнак, Пастарнак дзікі, Ствол, Травапольны кроп
Breton
Panez
Bulgarian
Обикновен пащърнак, Пащарнак
Cantonese
防風草
Catalan
Xirivia, Xerevia
Chinese
欧防风, 歐防風, 欧独活, 欧洲防风, 歐洲防風草
Croatian
Pastrnjak
csb
Zwëczajny pasternôk
Czech
Pastinák setý, Pastinák
Danish
Almindelig pastinak, Pastinak
Dutch
Pastinaak, Pastinaak en brandpastinaak, Pinksternakel, Witte wortel
English
Wild parsnip, Parsnip
Esperanto
Pastinako
Estonian
Aed-moorputk
Filipino
Common pastinaca, Karaniwang pastinaca, Karaniwang pastinaka, P. sativa, Pangkaraniwang pastinaka, Parsnip, Pastinache, Pastinache comuni
Finnish
Palsternakka, Euroopanpalsternakka
French
Panais, Panais frais
Galician
Charouvía
Georgian
Ძირთეთრა
German
Pastinak, Gewöhnlicher Pastinak, Pastinake
grc
Σίσαρον
Greek
Παστινάκη η εδώδιμος
gv
Pesmad
Hebrew
גזר לבן, פארסניפ, פרסניפ
Hungarian
Pasztinák
Icelandic
Nípa, Pastínakka
Indonesian
Parsnip
io
Pastinako
Irish
Cuirdín bán, Meacan bán
Italian
Pestanaca
Japanese
パースニップ, アメリカボウフウ, オランダボウフウ, サトウニンジン
Kannada
ಪಾರ್ಸ್ನಿಪ್
Kazakh
Ботташық
Korean
파스닙
Latvian
Pastinaks
li
Pingstelnakel
Lithuanian
Paprastasis pastarnokas
Luxembourgish
Pastinak
Macedonian
Пашканат, Паштрнак
Malay
Sekakul
mzn
اسپه اجاره
Norwegian Bokmål
Pastinakk
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pastinakk
os
Таугæ урсуидаг
pcd
Pasternache
Persian
شقاقل, زردک ریش بزی, زردک ریشبزی, زردک ریگی, زردک وحشی
Polish
Pasternak zwyczajny
Portuguese
Cherivia, Cherovia, Cherívia, Pastinaga
Romanian
Păstârnac, Pastarnac
Russian
Пастернак посевной, Баранья морковь, Веретенный корень, Олений корень, Пастернак луговой, Пастернак обыкновенный, Полевой борщ, Толстая морковь
scn
Vastunaca, Vastunachedda
sco
Parsnip
Scottish Gaelic
Curran geal
Serbian
Paškanat, Пашканат
Serbian (Latin)
Paškanat, Pastrnjak
sgs
Pastarnuoks
Sindhi
شقاقل
Slovak
Paštrnák siaty
Slovenian
Navadni rebrinec, Pastinak
Spanish
Chirivia
Swedish
Palsternacka
Thai
พาซนิพ
Turkish
Yabani havuç, Karakavza, Karakök
Ukrainian
Пастернак посівний
Urdu
شقاقل
Vietnamese
Củ cải vàng
Walloon
Pastinåke
Welsh
Panasen
wuu
欧防风

Synonyms

  • Anethum pastinaca Wibel
  • Elaphoboscum sativum (L.) Rupr.
  • Pastinaca sativa subsp. sylvestris Roug & Camus
  • Peucedanum pastinaca (L.) Benth. & Hook.f.
  • Peucedanum sativum (L.) B.D.Jacks.
  • Peucedanum sativum (L.) Benth.
  • Selinum pastinaca Crantz

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Biennial, Perennial
In the US and Canada
Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced

Photos

More in Pastinaca

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.