Blooming species become few after the initial green-up of spring. Yellow Pimpernel provides delicate yellow umbels of flowers through the heat of early summer. It is a fine textured plant that smells of celery when crushed and prefers drier, woodland edges. Deer, at least in our area, mostly avoid it.
Rarely seen in cultivation, the flowers attract many small spring-flying insects and the leaves feed the caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail and Ozark Swallowtail, and should be used more often in the landscape if only for this purpose. Although this butterfly host plant prefers drier, woodland edge habitats, it will also do well in full sun and medium soil.
Our website also features the following species with similar yellow umbel blooms, blooming late-spring or early-summer: Thaspium trifoliatum var. trifoliatum (Meadow Parsnip), Polytaenia nuttallii (Prairie Parsley) and Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders). All of these important perennial native plants should not be confused with the similar-looking Pastinaca sativa (Wild Parsnip), a highly invasive Eurasian biennial commonly found on roadsides and other disturbed sites. Wild Parsnip is taller than the aforementioned natives, blooms later, and can cause painful skin burns.
Rarely seen in cultivation, the flowers attract many small spring-flying insects and the leaves feed the caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail and Ozark Swallowtail, and should be used more often in the landscape if only for this purpose. Although this butterfly host plant prefers drier, woodland edge habitats, it will also do well in full sun and medium soil.
Our website also features the following species with similar yellow umbel blooms, blooming late-spring or early-summer: Thaspium trifoliatum var. trifoliatum (Meadow Parsnip), Polytaenia nuttallii (Prairie Parsley) and Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders). All of these important perennial native plants should not be confused with the similar-looking Pastinaca sativa (Wild Parsnip), a highly invasive Eurasian biennial commonly found on roadsides and other disturbed sites. Wild Parsnip is taller than the aforementioned natives, blooms later, and can cause painful skin burns.
