Alexis Nikole Nelson Instagram – Cow Parsnip AKA Pushki AKA Hogweed AKA an additional member of the carrot family for whom you should have a love and a respectful caution! It is the only member of the Heracleum genus (responsible for such hits as Golpar and Common European Hogweed) native to North America! It’s genus is one of dual fame: some members are awfully tasty, but nearly all contain some level of furanocoumarin, a compound that can make skin HYPER sensitive to sunlight. That being said, the tender young leaves and dried seeds are mainstays in my kitchen! Cow Parsnips should be handled with care for three reasons! 1. Omg PLEASE DONT GO GETTING BURNED. Gloves and cloudy days are your friend if you ever want to try some! 2. To fresh eyes it looks similar to many members of the Apiaceae family. Some of those dudes are HELLA TUMMY NO-NOs. Like Poison Hemlock. Time of year, and checking for fuzzy stems and leaves with thiccc-er lobes than hemlock is the name of the game. Cow Parsnip also has a scent reminiscent of a very savory celery… Hemlock smells like rat pee 🤣 3. Because of widespread fear of its more intimidating cousin Giant Hogweed, a lot of folks conflate the two and get rid of Cow Parsnips. If you’re gonna harvest, make sure it’s from a patch of a healthy size! And if you’re not gonna harvest, leave it alone! The pollinators will thank you!! @mallorylodonnell has taught me so much about the wonder that is Pushki, so if you’re looking for fun ways to use it, I’m sure it’ll make an appearance in a dish of his sooner or later! 💗🌱