Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what dangers wild parsnips pose to the environment and the public.

Wild parsnip, Pastinaca sativa subspecies sylvestris, is the wild ancestor of the cultivated garden parsnip. It is part of our native flora and poses no risk to the environment. Some members of the public experience skin irritation or blisters after contact with the plant’s sap and sunlight but the health risk is limited.