Purple Meadow Parsnip is an herbaceous perennial in the Apiaceae (Carrot) family native to eastern North America from Minnesota to New York south to Texas and Florida with concentrations found in the Mississippi River valley. Its name means three leaves or leaflets. Two varieties of this species occur in North Carolina: T . trifoliatum var. trifoliatum (with maroon flowers) and T. trifoliatum var. aureum (with golden yellow flowers). The Purple Meadow Parsnip prefers moist soil. It can be grown in clay, sand, loam and slightly rocky soil of any pH. It is typically found along stream banks, in woodlands or rocky slopes in moist, well-drained soil in full or part shade. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks. It works well in a pollinator garden, native or wildlife garden but it can be difficult to source at a nursery. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Quick ID Striking reddish-purple flowers Three leaves or leaflets
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Basal leaves are heart-shaped and stem leaves are divided trifoliate, toothed and ovate 2" long and half again as wide. Both the basal leaves and the stem leaves are alternate and have upper and lower surfaces that are green and glabrous.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small reddish-purple in compound umbels 1-3 inches wide. Each compound umbel has 6-12 rays that terminate in small umbellets of flowers. The rays are light green to pale purplish green, grooved along their upper sides, and glabrous. Each umbellet has 5-12 rays about 1/8 in. long that terminate in individual flowers. Each individual flower is very small, about a 1/10 in. across, consisting of 5 reddish-purple petals that fold inward.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Cream/Tan
Fruit type
Schizocarp
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Small, winged fruits about 1/8 in. in length in the shape of an ellipse. Each fruit consists of a pair of carpels that each enclose a single seed.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Ridged stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern North America
Distribution
AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV
Wildlife value
This plant supports Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) larvae which appear between April and October and have one to two flights in the north or three flights in the south. Adult Black Swallowtail butterflies feed on flower nectar from thistles, milkweed and red clover.