medicinal herbs
Fool's Parsley
Aethusa cynapium

• Medicinal herbs
• Natural herbs
• Latin names
• Common names

Herb: Fool's Parsley

Latin name: Aethusa cynapium

Family: Umbelliferae

Medicinal use of Fool's Parsley:

Although fairly toxic, fool's parsley has occasionally been used in folk medicine. The herb is sedative and stomachic. It has been used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal problems, especially in children, and also to treat convulsions and summer diarrhoea. Extreme caution in the use of this herb is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Grows in waste places and is also a common weed of cultivated ground but rarer in the north of Britain.

Edible parts of Fool's Parsley:

Leaves - raw or cooked. It is very inadvisable to eat this plant, see the notes above on toxicity.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - we have no details on this species but suggest sowing the seed in situ as soon as it is ripe or in spring.

Cultivation of Fool's Parsley:

Grows in waste places and is also a common weed of cultivated ground but rarer in the north of Britain.

Known hazards of Aethusa cynapium:

The entire plant is poisonous though less so than Conium maculatum (q.v.). Small amounts can cause pain, confusion of vision and vomiting. The dried plant might be safe to eat.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.