Cow parsley or anthriscus sylvestris

The cold icy winter has resulted in a profusion of cow parsley or anthriscus sylvestris this May (the winter chill leads to synchronous germination).



Above: cow parsley along the ditch bordering the north field. Cow parsley is a marginal plant - literally to be found at the margins of meadows and woodland. Usually regarded as a weed, each plant can produce up to ten thousand seeds.



Above: despite its reputation as a nuisance weed, cow parsley has become extremely fashionable as a decorative flower in the last two or three years. In part this is because of the increasing awareness of environmental and ecological issues, and the celebration of English wild flowers. In part this is also because the flower is genuinely beautiful.



Above: I am also wondering whether there is a Jungian explanation for the rise in popularity of cow parsley. It is the perfect symbol for the new age of austerity. It is also a reminder that we can easily get by with what we already have.



Above: confirmation of the new status of cow parsley came in this article in last Saturday's Guardian magazine which suggested growing it as a garden flower (the Guardian is read by the urban uber-liberal elite).