Oenanthe pimpinelloides
corky-fruited water-dropwort
Western and southern Europe, Mediterranean, North Africa
Overview
Oenanthe pimpinelloides is a tuberous perennial of the carrot family, reaching 12-39 inches (30-100 cm) tall on stiff, ridged, hollow stems. It grows from a cluster of swollen, ovoid root tubers borne on short stalks. The lower leaves are pinnate with wedge-shaped, toothed leaflets, while the upper leaves are divided into narrow, almost linear segments. Small white flowers are carried in flat-topped compound umbels 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) across, the outer flowers of each cluster slightly larger than the inner ones. After flowering the umbel rays thicken and stiffen, and the ridged fruits develop a corky, cylindrical base that gives the plant its common name. It occupies damp meadows, grassy banks, and roadside verges, mainly on heavy, seasonally wet soils. Like other water-dropworts, all parts contain polyacetylene toxins; the related O. crocata carries high levels of the same compounds and has caused fatal poisoning in livestock and people. The species spreads by seed and by its tubers, forming scattered colonies in old grassland. It has a limited horticultural role and is grown mainly in conservation and wildflower-meadow settings.
Native Range
Native to western and southern Europe, including southern Britain, with a range extending into the Mediterranean and North Africa, where it grows in damp grassland, meadows, and verges on clay-rich soils.Suggested Uses
Grown in damp wildflower meadows, conservation grasslands, and naturalistic plantings on clay, where it adds early-summer umbels among grasses. Its toxicity rules it out of edible or grazed settings. It is usually sown as part of a seed mix rather than spaced as individual plants.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'3"
Width/Spread1' - 1'6"
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Flowers open from June to August in flat white umbels at the tops of the stems. Each compound umbel holds many small five-petalled flowers and draws short-tongued flies, beetles, and bees. Ridged, corky-based fruits ripen from late summer into autumn.
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