VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Heracleum lanatum | Cow Parsnip 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Cow parsnip is a valuable forage species for livestock, deer, elk,
moose, and bear [37,42,43,54].  In West Virginia cow parsnip provides
forage for livestock and deer [10].  Moose in Montana and Yellowstone
National Park eat cow parsnip [40,54].  In low elevation riparian areas
it is an important food for grizzly bear, especially in the spring
[43,52,81,88].  In Glacier National Park, cow parsnip comprised 15
percent of grizzly bear total diet volume, spring through fall, in
1967-1971 and 1982-1985 [43].  In Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta,
grizzly feeding sites were examined from June to early August; 77
percent of the cropped umbelliferous plants were cow parsnip (stems,
petioles, and blossoms) [28].  Black bear in Alberta cow parsnip in
summer [37].


PALATABILITY : 
Palatability ratings for cow parsnip are as follows [15]:

                  CO        MT        ND        UT

cattle           good      good      good      good
sheep            good      good      good      fair
horses           good      good      good      fair


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Cow parsnip nutritional values are rated as follows [15,29]:  

                             UT        CO        WY        MT

elk                         good      ----      poor      good    
mule deer                   good      ----      good      good
white-tailed deer                     good      ----      good
pronghorn                   poor      ----      poor      poor
upland game birds           fair      ----      fair      fair
waterfowl                   poor      ----      poor      fair
small nongame birds         fair      ----      fair      poor
small mammals               good      ----      fair      poor

Energy and protein content ratings of cow parsnip are poor [15].


COVER VALUE : 
Cow parsnip cover values are rated as follows [15]: 

                             UT        CO        WY        MT

elk                         poor      ----      poor      ----  
mule deer                   poor      ----      fair      ----
white-tailed deer           ----      fair      ----      ----
pronghorn                   poor      ----      poor      ----
upland game birds           fair      ----      fair      poor
waterfowl                   poor      ----      fair      ----
small nongame birds         good      ----      good      poor
small mammals               good      ----      good      poor

Yellow-bellied sapsuckers in Idaho ues cow parsnip as cover [19], and
Columbian sharp-tailed grouse use the black hawthorn-cow parsnip habitat
type as escape cover, especially in the winter [50].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Cow parsnip is rated moderately good for erosion control, short-term
revegetation potential, and long-term revegetation potential [15].  Cow
parsnip has fair soil stabilization value if seeded in the fall in
quaking aspen, mountain brush, and subalpine herbland communities of
Intermountain rangelands [72].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Native Americans of Alaska, British Columbia, the Great Plains, and
Arizona used cow parsnip for medicinal and nutritional purposes
[26,39,42,48].  Native Americans in Alaska ate the inside of stems raw
and boiled the roots to extract sugar [39].  In Arizona, the Apache ate
the young leaves and stems and used the roots to treat epilepsy [42].

Cow parsnip is planted as an ornamental [38].  

In the Great Plains cases of dermatitis have been reported in persons
who came in contact with the foliage of cow parsnip [26].  


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
In Washington cow parsnip is sensitive to grazing and can be eliminated
from steppe vegetation if overgrazed [13].  In Colorado cow parsnip
decreases with grazing [41].  Cow parsnip is sensitive to soil
compaction or severe soil disturbances which may be caused by mechanical
scarification or trampling [9,67].

In high mountain ecosystems of Utah, cow parsnip should be broadcast or
drill-seeded in the fall at 1 to 2 pounds per acre in a mixed seeding
for best forage results [38].  

Parsnip webworm, a European-introduced herbivorous insect, feeds on
developing flowers and seeds of cow parsnip.  Floral herbivory can
decrease seed production by up to 40 percent and seed biomass 53 percent
[5,33].
  
Cow parsnip appears to persist or increase after clearcutting [4,12],
but to decrease after soil scarification [87].

Related categories for Species: Heracleum lanatum | Cow Parsnip