parsnip, Pastinaca sativa

The best thing about parsnips is the gazillion people they've fed through the centuries. The second best thing is that I don't have to be one of them. Third are the pretty flowers. After that it really goes downhill. Parsnips are biennials. The best harvest is after the first frost of the first year. After that they REALLY get yucky, maybe even a little toxic. And the green parts can cause an uncomfortable skin reaction that includes discoloration lasting up to two years! All in all, parsnips are best enjoyed from a distance but are now there for you in every state and province except AL, FL, GA, HI, MS, and LB, and are on SPM. Lenawee Co MI, 6/16/11.