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Cow-parsnip - Heracleum lanatum
Other Names:  Heracleum maximum, Heracleum sphondylium

Image Copyright and Usage Information
Native Species

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S4
C-value: 5


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 





 
General Description
Robust perennial with a stout taproot. Stems erect, hollow, 1–2 m. Herbage pubescent on veins and stems. Leaves basal and cauline, divided into 3 cordate leaflets; each 10–30 cm long, serrate and 3- to 7-lobed; petioles dilated basally. Umbels compound, glandular-villous, 10–20 cm across; rays 2–10 cm long; involucral and involucel bracts linear, 3–10 mm long. Flowers white; sepals minute; petals ca. 2 mm long; outer petals of outer flowers in each umbellet larger, lobed; stylopodium conical. Mericarps glabrous, obcordate to obovate, 7–12 mm long, strongly compressed parallel to the commissure; marginal wings 0.5–1 mm long; dorsal ribs raised; oil tubes solitary in the intervals, visible as dark lines reaching halfway to the base (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Diagnostic Characteristics
Whether by name or look, several members of the Apiaceae (Carrot or Parsley) Family can be look-a-likes. These plants are not ones to mis-identify because some are toxic or poisonous. Be conscious of your safety when examining plants. Keep in mind that other species - not listed below - may also be perceived as look-alikes!

Cow-Parsnip - Heracleum lanatum, native
* Plants: Hairs present.
* Stems: Single, hollow, with short, soft hairs (pubescent). Lower portion not purple-spotted. Base is not swollen.
* Leaves: Veins pubescent. Leaves once-palmately divided into 3 leaflets. Leaflets broad, 3-7 lobed, and coarsely toothed. Petioles are basally dilated. No bulbs in leaf axils.
* Flowers: White and sweet-smelling. Sepals minute.
* Mericarps: Glabrous. Obovate. Dorsal ribs narrow. Marginal (lateral) ribs broadly winged.
* Roots: Stout taproot.
* Habitats: Moist places, such as avalanche slopes, thickets, open forests, woodlands, along streams, and drier wetlands.

Poison Hemlock - Conium maculatum, non-native
* Plants: Highly poisonous. Hairs absent (glabrous).
* Stems: Lower portion is purple-spotted. Base is little, to not, swollen.
* Leaves: Glabrous and tri-pinnately divided into small ultimate segments; fern-like. Veins meet with tip of the leaf's tooth. No bulbs in leaf axils.
* Flowers: White. Sepals absent.
* Mericarps: Glabrous, prominent ribs raised, but barely winged and often wavy.
* Roots: Stout taproot.
* Habitats: Moist, disturbed places, such as along streams, ditches, and cool open slopes.

Queen Anne's Lace or Wild Carrot - Daucus carota, non-native
* Plants: Hairs sparse (glabrate) to long and stiff (hirsute).
* Stems: Lower portion not purple-spotted. Base is not swollen.
* Leaves: Glabrous and bi-pinnately divided with leaflets being deeply divided. No bulbs in leaf axils.
* Flowers: White with the central flower of the central umbel often purple. Sepals minute.
* Mericarps: Ribs with barbed prickles (not glabrous).
* Roots: Stout taproot.
* Habitats: Along roads, trails, and in fields – often in areas with some disturbance.

Western Water-hemlock - Cicuta douglasii, native
* Plants: Highly poisonous. Hairs absent (glabrous).
* Stems: Often branched. Lower portion not purple-spotted. Base is swollen.
* Leaves: Glabrous. Bi- to tri-pinnately divided. Tertiary venation twice as long as wide and enclosing sections of the leaflets. Primary lateral veins terminate in the sinuses between the serrations (teeth). No bulbs in leaf axils.
* Flowers: white or greenish.
* Mericarps: Glabrous. Prominent ribs are corky (at least as wide as the darkened intervals), but not winged.
* Roots: Thickened or tuberous. Internally are horizontally divided with cross partitions.
* Habitats: Moist meadows, streambanks, and wetlands.

Spotted Water-hemlock - Cicuta maculata, native
* Plants: Highly poisonous. Hairs absent (glabrous).
* Stems: Often branched. Lower portion not purple-spotted. Base is swollen.
* Leaves: Glabrous and bi- to tri-pinnately divided. Tertiary venation of the leaflet is as long as wide. Primary lateral veins terminate in the sinuses between the serrations (teeth). No bulbs in leaf axils.
* Flowers: White or greenish.
* Mericarps: Glabrous. Prominent ribs are corky (at least as wide as the darkened intervals), but not winged.
* Roots: Thickened or tuberous. Internally are horizontally divided with cross partitions.
* Habitats: Moist meadows, woodlands, streambanks, and wetlands.

Bulb-bearing Water-hemlock - Cicuta bulbifera, native
* Plants: Highly poisonous. Hairs absent (glabrous).
* Stems: Usually solitary. Lower portion not purple-spotted. Base is swollen.
* Leaves: Glabrous. Upper leaves are simple or once-pinnate with bulblets in the axils.
* Flowers: White. Often sterile.
* Mericarps: Ribs thick and raised, wider than the intervals.
* Roots: Thickened or tuberous.
* Habitats: Fens.

Hemlock Water-parsnip - Sium suave, native
* Plants: Hairs absent (glabrous).
* Stems: Solitary. Lower portion not purple-spotted. Base is not swollen.
* Leaves: Glabrous. Emergent leaves are once-pinnate with lance-linear leaflets. Submerged leaves are bi- to tri-pinnately divided with narrower leaflets. Primary lateral veins sometimes terminate in the tips of the serrations (teeth). No bulbs in leaf axils.
* Flowers: White or greenish. Sepals minute.
* Mericarps: Glabrous and elliptical. Ribs corky, but not winged.
* Roots: Fibrous. Internally are horizontally divided with cross partitions.
* Habitats: In shallow fresh water and banks of streams, ponds, and wetlands.

Hemlock Parsley - Conioselinum scopulorum, origin and presence unknown
* Plants: Sparsely hairy (glabrate).
* Stems: Single but sparingly branched and hollow. Lower portion not purple-spotted. Petioles are basally dilated. Base is not swollen.
* Leaves: Glabrate, bi- to tri-pinnately divided. Ultimate leaf lobes with one main vein. No bulbs in leaf axils.
* Flowers: White. Sepals absent.
* Mericarps: Glabrous. Elliptical. Dorsal ribs narrowly winged, low and corky. Marginal (lateral) ribs winged.
* Roots: Tuberous and fibrous.
* Habitats: Moist meadows, woodlands, streambanks, and wetlands.

Species Range
Montana Range Range Descriptions

Native
 


Range Comments
AK to NL south to CA, AZ, OH and GA (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 2084

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Moist soil of avalanche slopes, thickets, open forest, woodlands, often along streams; valleys to subalpine (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Predicted Suitable Habitat Model

This species has a Predicted Suitable Habitat Model available.

To learn how these Models were created see here

National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Shrubland
Foothills - Montane Shrubland
Montane - Subalpine Mesic Shrubland
Wetland and Riparian
Wet Meadow and Marsh
Montane Wet Meadow and Marsh HGCN

Ecology
POLLINATORS
The following animal species have been reported as pollinators of this plant species or its genus where their geographic ranges overlap: Bombus mixtus, Bombus rufocinctus, and Bombus occidentalis (Thorp et al. 1983, Colla and Dumesh 2010, Pyke et al. 2012).


References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Colla, S.R. and S. Dumesh. 2010. The bumble bees of southern Ontario: notes on natural history and distribution. Journal of the Entomological Society of Ontario 141:39-68.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
    • Pyke, G.H., D.W. Inouye, and J.D. Thomson. 2012. Local geographic distributions of bumble bees near Crested Butte, Colorado: competition and community structure revisited. Environmental Entomology 41(6): 1332-1349.
    • Thorp, R.W., D.S. Horning, and L.L. Dunning. 1983. Bumble bees and cuckoo bumble bees of California (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 23:1-79.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Culver, D.R. 1994. Floristic analysis of the Centennial Region, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Montana State University, Bozeman. 199 pp.
    • DuBois, K.L. 1979. An inventory of the avifauna in the Long Pines of Southeastern Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 113 p.
    • Eggers, M.J.S. 2005. Riparian vegetation of the Montana Yellowstone and cattle grazing impacts thereon. M.Sc. Thesis. Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. 125 p.
    • Eversman, S.T. 1968. A comparison of plant communities and substrates of avalanche and non-avalanche areas in south central Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 39 pp.
    • Fultz, J.E. 2005. Effects of shelterwood management on flower-visiting insects and their floral resources. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 163 p.
    • Glazier, R.J. 1971. Ecological and morphological relationships of subspecies of Peromyscus maniculatus near St. Mary, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University. 41 p.
    • Jones, W. W. 1901. Preliminary flora of Gallatin County. M.S. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State College. 78 pp.
    • Joslin, G.J. 1975. Behavior and environmental selection by Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) during surrmer and fall in the First and Second Yellow Mule drainages, Madison County, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University, Bozeman. 65 p.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
    • McColley, S.D. 2007. Restoring aspen riparian stands with beaver on the northern Yellowstone winter range. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 67 p.
    • Morgan, J.T. 1993. Summer habitat use of white-tailed deer on the Tally Lake ranger district, Flathead National Forest. Ph.D. Dissertation. Montana State University, Bozeman. pp. 103.
    • Sater, S. 2022. The insects of Sevenmile Creek, a pictorial guide to their diversity and ecology. Undergraduate Thesis. Helena, MT: Carroll College. 242 p.
    • Saunders, J.K. Jr. 1955. Food habits and range use of the Rocky Mountain goat in the Crazy Mountains, Montana. Journal of Wildlife Management 19(4):429-437.
    • Saunders, J.K., Jr. 1954. A two-year investigation of the food habits and range use of the Rocky Mountain goat in the Crazy Mountains, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 22 p.
    • Simanonok, M. 2018. Plant-pollinator network assembly after wildfire. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 123 p.
    • Singer, F. J. 1979. Habitat partitioning and wildfire relationships of cervids in Glacier National Park, Montana. Journal of Wildlife Management 43(2):437-444.
    • Stivers, T.S. 1988. Effects of livestock grazing on grizzly bear habitat along the east front of the Rocky Mountains, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 80 p.
    • Stoecker, R.E. 1967. A population study of five species of small rodents in the Bridger Mountains of Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University. 32 p.
    • Tuinstra, K. E. 1967. Vegetation of the floodplains and first terraces of Rock Creek near Red Lodge, Montana. Ph.D dissertation. Montana State University, Bozeman 110 pp.
    • Tyers, D.B. 2003. Winter ecology of moose on the Northern Yellowstone Winter Range. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 308 p.
    • Williams, K.L. 2012. Classification of the grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, forests and alpine vegetation associations of the Custer National Forest portion of the Beartooth Mountains in southcentral Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 376 p.
    • Wood, A.K. 1987. Ecology of a prairie mule deer population. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 205 p.
    • Zimmer, J.P. 2004. Winter habitat use and diet of Snowshoe Hares in the Gardiner, Montana area. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 65 p.
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Citation for data on this website:
Cow-parsnip — Heracleum lanatum.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from