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Conopodium majus

pignut

Apiaceae Western Europe

Attracts Pollinators

SunPart Shade – Full Sun

WaterLow

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Conopodium majus is a slender, wispy perennial 25-50 cm (10-20 in) tall, growing from a small, rounded brown tuber buried several centimetres deep in the soil. The thread-like stems are hollow and carry finely divided, feathery leaves cut into narrow segments, the lower leaves often withering by flowering time. In late spring it produces small, open umbels 3-6 cm (1.2-2.4 in) across of tiny white flowers on slender rays, nodding slightly in bud. The whole plant has a fragile, wispy look and rises among grasses and bluebells in spring woodland before dying back by midsummer. The edible tuber has a sweet, nutty, chestnut-like flavour and has long been dug and eaten, though it is hard to extract because the brittle stem snaps from the deeply set tuber. It spreads slowly by seed and offset tubers and does not form dense stands. It grows on light, slightly acid to neutral soils in dappled shade and grassland, and disappears below ground for much of the year, making it easy to overlook outside the spring flowering season.

Native Range

Conopodium majus is native to western Europe, from Iberia and the British Isles to Scandinavia and parts of Italy. It grows in deciduous woodland, hedge banks, and old unimproved grassland, on light, mildly acid to neutral soils. It is not native to North America.

Suggested Uses

Planted in naturalistic woodland gardens, spring meadows, and grassy banks where it can come up among bluebells and other spring flowers. Grown occasionally for its edible, nutty tubers in forage and wild-food plantings. Its ephemeral, easily overlooked habit suits undisturbed naturalised areas rather than active borders.

How to Identify

Identify Conopodium majus by its very slender, hollow stems, feathery finely divided leaves, and small open umbels of white flowers in late spring, all rising from a deeply buried brown tuber. The umbels nod when young and the rays are thread-like. Its wispy build and woodland-and-meadow habitat separate it from stouter white umbellifers such as cow parsley.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height10" - 1'8"

Width/Spread4" - 8"

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring

Flowering runs from May to June, sometimes into early July. The small white umbels open among spring grasses and woodland flowers. Seed ripens by midsummer, after which the top growth withers and the plant retreats to its tuber.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Mid-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Sun

Requires 2-8 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand silt

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow Conopodium majus in light, free-draining, mildly acid to neutral soil in dappled shade or unimproved grassland. It suits naturalised settings under deciduous trees and in meadow turf, where it comes and goes with the spring. The plant is hardy and needs no winter protection across temperate zones. Sow fresh seed in autumn, as it needs winter cold to germinate and is slow to reach flowering size. The deep, brittle tubers are easily damaged by disturbance, so grow it where the ground is left undug. It needs little water or feeding and dies back underground for much of the year.

Pruning

No pruning is needed for this ephemeral perennial. Leave the foliage to die down naturally after the seed ripens. Disturbing the ground snaps the brittle stems from the deep tubers, so it is grown in undug, settled ground.