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Flora Emslandia - Plants in Emsland (northwestern Germany)

Wild chervil

Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm. ssp. sylvestris: The subspecies sylvestris is the only one that exists in Emsland. Anthriscus sylvestris ssp. stenophylla, another subspecies occurring in Germany, has even more finely pinnate leaves and the leaflets (narrower than 2 mm) are decurrent at the main axis of the leaves.

The wild chervil is in Central European latitudes probably the most common umbelliferous plant. In June, it lines the way and the banks in their thousands, which should give us pause, because it is an indication for nitrogen wealth, i.e. eutrophication (over-fertilization). Due to its extreme spread it prevents many other plants in its unfolding. Also by farmers it is not welcomed, because it displaces more nutritious wild herbs and leaves behind hard stems in the hay.

The wild chervil is non-toxic and edible. Its leaves when crushed recall the smell of carrots. The young leaves and roots can be cooked used as a vegetable. The leaves are suitable dried or fresh to flavor soups or quark, and they can be added to salads. Its taste is more severe than that of the garden chervil.

The wild chervil can be easily confused with the following highly toxic species:

Cowbane:
Root with air chambers; when the plant is injured a yellow juice emerges, which turns reddish brown; leaflets toothed, narrowly lanceolate.

Hemlock:
Stem at base with red spots; stem often with a blueish coating; when crushed smell of mice urine.

Rough chervil:
Stem at base with red spots; stem rough hairy; thickened below the nodes.

Fool's parsley:
When crushed unpleasant odor; stalks sometimes reddish and with a blueish coating.

Anyone who is not quite sure whether it really is wild chervil or a possibly toxic species, should not use the plant in the kitchen and alternatively resort to garden chervil.