Fern Leaf Biscuitroot: A Fragrant Plant Mystery

Fernleaf Biscuitroot, also known as Fernleaf Desert-Parsley, is a long-lived perennial with ascending, hollow stems and aromatic, fern-like, pinnately or ternate-pinnately dissected leaves. The starchy root vegetable has a unique, earthy and spicy flavour and can be eaten cooked or ground into flours. The young leaves and shoots are a hardy spring green, eaten raw or cooked, with a taste like parsley. Fernleaf Biscuitroot is also known for its medicinal qualities, with volatile oils in the roots that are antiviral and antibiotic, as well as antibacterial and antifungal.

Fernleaf biscuitroot is a long-lived perennial with hollow stems and aromatic, fern-like leaves

Fernleaf biscuitroot, also known as fernleaf desert parsley, is a long-lived perennial with hollow stems and aromatic, fern-like leaves. It is a remarkable habitat plant that is visually stunning and relatively uncommon in home gardens and nurseries. It has a carrot-like taproot, delicate, lacey leaves and umbrella-shaped flower clusters known as "umbels". Its abundant, lime-green foliage emerges in early spring and grows at an impressive rate.

Fernleaf biscuitroot is a food source for a variety of wildlife, from bears to bees. It is also a crucial early-season forage for many wildlife species and domestic grazers. The starchy root vegetable can be eaten cooked or ground into flours, with a unique, earthy and spicy flavour. The young leaves and shoots are a hardy spring green, eaten raw or cooked, with a taste like parsley.

Fernleaf biscuitroot is more commonly known for its medicinal value. The volatile oils in the roots, which give the spicy flavour, are behind much of the medicinal action on the respiratory system. These volatile oils are antiviral and antibiotic, as well as antibacterial and antifungal. Fernleaf biscuitroot stops the growth of invading viruses, bacteria and fungi, without harming good bacteria.

The plant is known for its medicinal value, particularly its antiviral, antibiotic, antibacterial and antifungal properties

Fernleaf biscuitroot, also known as fernleaf desert parsley, is a visually stunning plant that is relatively uncommon in home gardens and nurseries. It is a long-lived perennial with ascending, hollow stems and aromatic, fern-like, pinnately or ternate-pinnately dissected leaves. It is a member of the Apiaceae (carrot) family and has a carrot-like taproot.

Fernleaf biscuitroot was widely used medicinally by many native North American Indian tribes who considered it to be a universal panacea. The whole plant, but especially the root, is disinfectant, pectoral, salve, stomachic and tonic. The dried root was used in the treatment of rheumatism, stomach complaints, coughs, colds, hay fever, bronchitis, influenza, pneumonia and tuberculosis. The root was burnt and the smoke inhaled in the treatment of asthma and other chest complaints, and it was also used as a herbal steam bath for treating chest complaints.

During the influenza pandemic of 1917, it was used with reportedly good results, especially in the southwestern US. Mash root was used to treat cuts, wounds, and sore muscles.

It is a food source for a variety of wildlife, from bears to bees

Fernleaf biscuitroot, also known as fernleaf desert parsley, is a food source for a variety of wildlife, from bears to bees. It is a long-lived perennial with hollow stems and fern-like leaves. The starchy root vegetable can be eaten cooked or ground into flour, with a unique, earthy and spicy flavour. The young leaves and shoots are also edible, tasting like parsley.

The plant is also known for its medicinal qualities. The volatile oils in the roots, which give the spicy flavour, are behind much of the medicinal action on the respiratory system. These oils are antiviral, antibiotic, antibacterial and antifungal. Fernleaf biscuitroot can stop the growth of invading viruses, bacteria and fungi, without harming good bacteria.

Fernleaf biscuitroot is a relatively uncommon plant in home gardens and nurseries. It has a carrot-like taproot and delicate, lacey leaves. Its abundant, lime-green foliage emerges in early spring and grows at an impressive rate. In March, the flowers come in droves - umbels of countless tiny yellow to purple flowers that tower above the leaves and beckon early spring pollinators from their winter resting places.

The starchy root vegetable can be eaten cooked or ground into flours, with a unique, earthy and spicy flavour

Fernleaf biscuitroot, also known as fernleaf desert parsley, is a native food with a starchy root vegetable that can be eaten cooked or ground into flours. It has a unique, earthy and spicy flavour, which comes from the volatile oils in the roots. These oils are also responsible for the medicinal qualities of the plant, which is used to treat respiratory infections, skin complaints, digestion issues and arthritis.

The roots can be eaten raw or cooked, and the young leaves and shoots are a hardy spring green with a taste like parsley. The plant has a carrot-like taproot and delicate, lacey leaves. In early to mid-summer, it produces flowers in large compound umbels, with up to 50-200 small, greenish-yellow blossoms. These are followed by flattened, oblong to oval, dry two-seeded fruits.

Fernleaf biscuitroot is a food source for a variety of wildlife, from bears to bees, and is crucial early-season forage for many wildlife species and domestic grazers. It is a long-lived perennial with ascending, hollow stems and aromatic, fern-like, pinnately or ternate-pinnately dissected leaves.

Fernleaf biscuitroot is also known as fernleaf desert parsley, Indian parsley, chocolate tips, carrotleaf, giant lomatium, lace-leaved leptotaenia, wild carrot and barestem biscuitroot

Fernleaf biscuitroot is a food source for a variety of wildlife, from bears to bees. It is crucial early season forage for many wildlife species and domestic grazers. It is also a native food for humans. The starchy root vegetable can be eaten cooked or ground into flours, with a unique, earthy and spicy flavour. The young leaves and shoots are a hardy spring green, eaten raw or cooked, with a taste like parsley.

Fernleaf biscuitroots are more commonly known for their medicinal value. The volatile oils in the roots, which give the spicy flavour, are what is behind much of the medicinal action lomatiums have on the respiratory system. These volatile oils are antiviral and antibiotic, as well as antibacterial and antifungal. The fernleaf biscuitroot in particular stops the growth of invading viruses, bacterial and funguses, without harming good bacteria.

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