Cow parsnip

Description:

Irregular white flowers at the top of a plant that is about 3 ft. tall.

Habitat:

Spotted in an opening in the woods.

Notes:

Indigenous North Americans have had a variety of uses for cow parsnip. It could be an ingredient in poultices applied to bruises or sores. The young stalks and leaf stems were used for food once the outer skin was peeled off. The dried stems were used as drinking straws for the old or infirm, or made into flutes for children. A yellow dye can be made from the roots, and an infusion of the flowers can be rubbed on the body to repel flies and mosquitoes.