Carrot Family
Many members of the carrot family (Apiaceae) are invasive in Wisconsin. These herbaceous biennials and perennials have alternate, compound leaves with sheaths at the base of leaves. Many small, 5-petaled flowers are arranged in compound umbels (several small umbels combine to make larger umbel). Of the species that are invasive, all have white flowers except wild parsnip, which has yellow flowers. Seeds form in pairs and stems are hollow at maturity.
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Look Alikes
There are several members of the carrot family that are native and/or grown in gardens for food (roots, herbs, seeds) that share the same characteristics listed above. Within the carrot family, species are differentiated based on a combination of characteristics including overall size, hair presence on leaves and stems, bloom time, stem color, and seed shape and size.
Resource Table
| Classification | Common Name | Other Common Names | Scientific Name | Factsheets | Videos | Statewide Distribution Map | National Distribution Map | Look-Alike Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted | Bishop's goutweed | Aegopodium podagraria | Factsheet 1 Factsheet 2 | State Map | National Map | |||
| Restricted | Burnet saxifrage | Scarlet pimpernel | Pimpinella saxifraga | Factsheet | State Map | National Map | ||
| Prohibited | Giant hogweed | Heracleum mantegazzianum | Factsheet | State Map | National Map | |||
| Prohibited/Restricted | Japanese hedgeparsley | Erect hedge-parsley | Torilis japonica | Factsheet 1 Factsheet 2 | Video | State Map | National Map | |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Poison hemlock | Conium maculatum | Factsheet 1 Factsheet 2 | Video | State Map | National Map | ||
| Not Regulated | Queen Anne's lace | wild carrot | Daucus carota | Factsheet | State Map | National Map | ||
| Prohibited | Spreading hedgeparsley | Torilis arvensis | Factsheet 1 Factsheet 2 | State Map | National Map | |||
| Prohibited/Restricted | Wild chervil | Anthriscus sylvestris | Factsheet 1 Factsheet 2 | Video | State Map | National Map | ||
| Restricted | Wild parsnip | Pastinaca sativa | Factsheet 1 Factsheet 2 | Video | State Map | National Map |
Species Summary Table
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Stem | Leaves | Flowers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aegopodium podagraria | Bishop’s goutweed | Branched, ridged, hairless | Compound with up to 9 leaflets; toothed, pointed tips, often deeply cleft | 2-4” umbels; 10 – 20 umbellets of up to 25 flowers each; no bracts at base of umbels or umbellets; May - June |
| Anthriscus sylvestris | Wild chervil | Branched, ribbed, short-hairy | 2-3x compound, fernlike, triangular, up to 8” long | 1-3” umbels”; 5-8 teardrop shaped bracts with hairy edges at base of umbellets; April - June |
| Conium maculatum | Poison hemlock | Smooth, mottled purple spots, may have waxy coating | 2-3x compound, triangular, up to 18” long, hairless, bad odor | 3” umbels; triangular bracts at base of umbel and umbellets; June – Aug. |
| Daucus carota | Queen Anne’s lace | Slightly ribbed; usually hairy | 2x compound, 4” long, 2” wide, larger at base | 2-5” umbels; often single dark purple flower in center of umbel; showy, branched bracts at base of umbels and umbellets; June – Sept. |
| Heracleum mantegazzianum | Giant hogweed | 2-4” diameter, prominent purple spots; stiff, scattered hairs | Pinnately compound, 1-5’ wide, 3 deeply lobed, pointed leaflets; toothed edges | Huge umbels 2’+ across with 50- 150 umbellets; linear bracts at base of umbellets; May – July |
| Wild parsnip | Hairless, strongly grooved | Up to 18” long, 6” wide, pinnately compound with 5-15 coarsely toothed leaflets (fewer on stem leaves) | YELLOW flowers, umbels 3-8”; no bracts; June - July | Flattened, winged oval, ¼” long |
| Burnet saxifrage | Faintly ribbed, covered in very short hairs | Pinnately compound; lowest leaves up to 12” long, with oval, coarsely toothed leaflets; leaves smaller up stem | Umbels 2-3”; usually no bracts, sometimes one bract at base of umbel or umbellet; June – Sept. | Flattened, 2-parted oval pod with faint ribs, <1/8” |
| Spreading hedgeparsley | Ridged, branched stems | Alternate, compound, fern- like, slightly hairy, 2-5” long | Small, ½ - 2” loose umbels; outer petals lobed; no bracts; July – Aug. | Oval, 1/8” long, covered in hooked hairs |
| Japanese hedgeparsley | Ridged, covered in stiff, flattened hairs | Alternate, compound, fern- like, slightly hairy, 2-5” long | Small, 1 ½ - 2” open umbels; 5 notched petals of unequal size; 2 or more narrow bracts at base of umbel; up to 8 bracts at base of umbellet; June – Aug. | Oval, 1/8” long, covered in hooked hairs |