Date Published: January 20, 2003

Wild chervil is a biennial or short-lived perennial plant of the parsley family. Seedlings develop into a rosette during the first year. In the second year, the plants produce hollow flower stems, up to 2 m tall. The stems are branched and covered in soft hair, particularly near the base. The leaves are arranged alternately on the flower stems and are nearly hairless. Each leaf is divided into smaller leaflets, which in turn are also divided. The base of each leaf stalk surrounds the stem.

Flowers are produced at the top of the stems in a flat-topped mass called a compound umbel, starting around mid- to late-June. Individual flower stems grow from the same point forming umbellets, many of which form an umbel. Each flower is white and has five notched petals which are larger toward the outside of the umbellet. The flowers have been confused with those of wild carrot (Daucus carota L.), or Queen Anne's lace. Wild chervil is the first of the parsley family to flower in Nova Scotia.

The thick, tap root of wild chervil is aggressive and spreads rapidly by lateral budding at the top of the root. The tap root of mature plants may be up to 2 metres deep.

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Wild chervil is a close relative of bur chervil (A. caucalis)and the common salad chervil (A. cerefolium).

Wild chervil is native to Europe where it is a very common along roadsides and pastures. It may be introduced in British wildflower seed mixes which are designed to imitate the plants commonly found in meadows and hedgerows.

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Life Cycle

Wild chervil is a biennial or short-lived perennial which spreads by seed and vegetatively by root budding. Generally it forms a rosette in the first year, flowers the second year producing seed, and then dies. If it is disturbed in its first year or early in its second year, it may not produce flower stems and may continue to grow as a rosette for successive years. At this point it becomes a short-lived perennial, and will not die until it flowers and sets seed. This weed is a heavy seed producer and will spread rapidly. Wild chervil reproduce vegetatively by budding of the tap-roots. The buds develop a tap-root and then separate from the main root as they mature.

Wild chervil will grow in a variety of soil types, but prefers rich, moist soils. It may be found along roadsides, edges of woods, and in waste places. It is rapidly spreading in Nova Scotia along dykeland in the Minas Basin area of Colchester and Hants counties. Spread along the dykelands can be caused by movement of seed in tidal waters, by birds, and by cultivation equipment. Additional sites have been identified in Antigonish, Pictou, Cumberland, Yarmouth and Lunenburg counties.

Wild chervil competes aggressively with other plants for light, space, nutrients, and water. It often kills off the surrounding vegetation by shading it. This is particularly damaging to forage crops.

Wild chervil is not poisonous to livestock and, although it is unpalatable when large, animals will graze it effectively when small. The stems are very slow to dry and, if harvested in forage, will reduce crop quality due to molding. This weed also serves as a host for the parsnip yellow fleck virus which infects carrots, celery, and parsnips.

Wild chervil is very difficult to control because of its extremely deep tap root and its resistance to herbicides. Pulling of flower stalks without removal of the entire rosette and taproot encourages the crown to re-sprout in the following year. The taproot is frequently up to two metres deep, making hand pulling almost impossible. Mowing can deplete root reserves if done repeatedly before the plant sets seed. An effective control for seedling plants is to dig up the plant, including the roots, before flowering.

The best control method is a combination of herbicide use and timed mowing or grazing. For further information or for herbicide application rates, contact your weed inspector or consult the most recent Guide to Weed Control (Publication 75).

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