Harald Schnöde (Schnde), no rights reserved (CC0) · iNaturalist
Berula spp.
lesser water-parsnip
Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America
Overview
Berula spp. is a genus of aquatic and marsh perennials in the carrot family (Apiaceae), most often represented by Berula erecta, the lesser water-parsnip. The genus has a broad distribution across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, growing in shallow water, ditches, springs, and the margins of slow streams. Plants spread by creeping stolons and rooting stems to form colonies, with hollow, ridged stems reaching 12-40 inches (30-100 cm) tall. The leaves are pinnately divided into 7 to 14 pairs of toothed leaflets that vary noticeably between submerged and emergent growth. Small white flowers are carried in compound umbels 1-3 inches (3-8 cm) across during summer, followed by rounded ribbed fruits. Berula spp. grows rooted in saturated soil or standing water in full sun to light shade and tolerates seasonal flooding. Because the foliage closely resembles that of water hemlock (Cicuta spp.) and other poisonous wetland umbellifers, the plants are easily mistaken for one another. Berula erecta itself contains compounds reported to cause poisoning in livestock, so it is treated as unsafe to eat.
Native Range
Widely distributed across Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America in wetland habitats. Berula erecta grows in calcareous springs, ditches, marshes, and slow-moving streams.Suggested Uses
Grown at the edges of ponds, streams, and bog gardens and in wetland and habitat restoration plantings. The spreading colonies stabilise wet soil and shelter aquatic life at the water margin.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'4"
Width/Spread1' - 3'
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Compound umbels of white flowers open through summer, roughly June to September. Ribbed fruits ripen later in the season. Plants flower once established in consistently wet ground.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
GreenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Berula spp. grows in saturated soil, shallow water, and pond margins in full sun to light shade. It needs permanently moist or flooded conditions and does not tolerate drying out. Plants spread by stolons and can form dense colonies in suitable wetland sites. Propagation is by division of rooted stems or by seed. In managed water gardens, the spreading growth may need containment to keep it from filling shallow margins.Pruning
No formal pruning is required. Excess growth is thinned by removing rooted runners during the growing season. Old foliage dies back in autumn and can be cleared from water margins.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons