Parsnip is a biennial vegetable with many deeply and finely lobed leaves. The edible part of the parsnip is the plant’s long tapering white root. Parsnips are a common plant in home gardens, but they have little commercial importance. Parsnips are related to carrots and dill.
The parsnip grows best in a deep rich soil. The seeds must be sown in early spring. The plants come up slowly and unevenly. A few radish seeds are usually mixed with the parsnip seeds. The radishes come up quickly and mark the rows of parsnips so they can be cultivated. If parsnips are neglected they can become troublesome weeds, as wild parsnips are. Parsnip roots grow slowly until the cool weather of fall. Then they grow rapidly. Parsnip roots are not injured by freezing, and are often left in the ground over winter.
Parsnips are usually free from insect enemies and suffer from few diseases. The parsnip provides moderate amounts of vitamins and minerals. Its calorie level is similar to that of the potato.
The parsnip is native to the Rhine Valley in Europe. It was known and probably used as food early in the Christian Era. It was cultivated in England in 1592 and was grown in New York by 1806.
