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Freshly harvested parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) with leafy green tops and soil still clinging to the roots, lying on dark earth in a garden.
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Freshly harvested parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) with leafy green tops and soil still clinging to the roots, lying on dark earth in a garden.
parsnips Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa).

Parsnip

vegetable
Also known as: Pastinaca sativa
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Parsnip, (species Pastinaca sativa), member of the parsley family (Apiaceae), cultivated since ancient times for its large, tapering, fleshy white root, which is edible and has a distinctive flavor. The root is found on roadsides and in open places in Great Britain and throughout Europe and temperate Asia. It was introduced in the Americas early in the 17th century and has become extensively naturalized in North America.

Parsnip seed is sown in the spring, thinly in rows about a half meter apart, and the plants are thinned to stand 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3 inches) apart in the row. At the end of summer the solids of the root consist largely of starch, but a period of low temperature changes much of the starch to sugar. The root is hardy and not damaged by hard freezing of the soil. It is sweet in flavor and is usually served as a cooked vegetable.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.