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Wild chervil easily establishes in disturbed areas such as roadsides. Photo Credit: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org.

Wild Chervil

COMMON NAME:

Wild Chervil

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Anthriscus sylvestris

ORIGIN:

Europe

DESCRIPTION:

Wild chervil, also referred to as cow parsley, is a biennial or short-lived perennial herb that grows up to 3 feet tall. Stems are grooved, covered in hairs and hollow except at the nodes. Alternate, compound, branched leaves have finely toothed edges and fern-like leaflets. An upright rosette is produced the first year, which flowers the following spring. Adult plants bloom April – June with small, five-petaled, white flowers arranged in an umbel. Plants form seeds which start out green and turn shiny brown to black later in the season.

HABITAT:

Wild chervil easily establishes in disturbed sites such as roadsides, ditches and fields. It grows well in rich, moist soils but can tolerate a wide range of conditions.

THREAT:

Wild chervil can outcompete native plant species and reduce wildlife habitat. Once established, wild chervil can be difficult and expensive to eradicate. On farms, wild chervil can spread aggressively and compete with crops, desirable forage and hay species.

MANAGEMENT:

Plants may cause skin irritation, so use proper precaution during management efforts. Manual removal is effective for individual plants and small populations and involves removal of the whole plant including the taproot prior to seed set. Follow up is required to handle regrowth and resprouts. Chemical control can be effective as well. Broadleaf selective herbicides can be more effective since they allow native grasses to grow and repopulate the area, and non-selective herbicides like glyphosate work as well.

WNY PRISM PRIORITY:

Data Gap Priority Species

Tier 4 - Local Control

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

King County Noxious Weed Control Program Best Management Practices

NYS Prohibited and Regulated Species - Part 575:

Wild chervil is a prohibited species in New York State - for more information on Prohibited and Regulated Species, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/99141.html.

PATHWAYS OF INVASION:

Wild chervil was introduced to North America in seed mixes. It can reproduce by vegetative means or seed that is spread by animals, wind or water. Mowing when seeds are present can contribute to the spread of this species.

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION:

This species is under reported in the region. As a data gap priority species, data collection is focused on wild chervil presence and distribution in the WNY PRISM region.

MAP (via iMapInvasives):


This map shows confirmed observations (green points) submitted to the NYS Invasive Species Database. Absence of data does not necessarily mean absence of the species at that site, but that it has not been reported there. For more information, please visit iMapInvasives.