Wild chervil: Pretty flower or aggressive invasive?

June 4, 2022  |  By Mike Hedges 

Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on June 19, 2021. It is reposted at the request of the author given its timely seasonal message.

Wild chervil growing in a field along Blush Hill Road. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti.

The roadsides are blossoming with white flowers in late May and early June. Many of Waterbury’s roadsides are lined with lacy white flowers called wild chervil. 

Originally from Europe, this non-native plant is reproducing rapidly through roots and by seed. Since it is tall, grows aggressively, and utilizes resources very effectively, it can outcompete native vegetation by forming extensive stands resulting in the shading of other species. 

Also, wild chervil sap can cause a chemical burn on skin when it is exposed to sunlight. This creates an additional hazard to anyone mowing, weed-whacking or walking in it.

New York and Massachusetts consider it an invasive plant, but in Vermont it is considered a watchlist species. The rapid spread around Waterbury has caught the attention of the State Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, the Waterbury Conservation Commission, and town officials. 

A few years ago, state Forest and Parks officials asked the Waterbury Conservation Commission for help in curbing the spread of wild chervil along Little River Road toward the Little River State Park. Commission members collected data to measure the spread of wild chervil. The data showed that the plant had taken hold along much of the town road’s right-of-way. The commission asked the town highway department staff to mow earlier, before the plants mature and go to seed. The expectation was that early mowing would slow the spread. 

Wild (Poison) Parsnip closeup (left) and wild chervil (right). Wild parsnip is slightly taller than wild chervil and blossoms about a month later. It can be more phototoxic than wild chervil also.” Photos courtesy of VtInvasives.org

Municipal Manager Bill Shepeluk understood the need and acknowledged that the timing of mowing is just as important as mowing itself. At the time, the town did not have the equipment for the job and could not regularly access rental equipment to mow the roadsides before the wild chervil went to seed.  

A special town meeting was called in November 2019  to authorize purchases of two fire trucks with a secondary question to consider purchasing a roadside mower. There was strong support for the mower and a vote passed to purchase it. 

Wild chervil is prolific along roadsides, often growing well beyond the reach of the highway department's roadside mowers as shown here on Perry Hill in Waterbury Center. Photo by Mike Hedges.

In 2020, the town purchased the equipment and began timely roadside mowing. This mowing helps slow the spread, but it will not kill the plants. Chervil is difficult to control because of its very deep tap root and resistance to herbicides. It is best removed by loosening the dirt around the base of the plant with a shovel and pulling the plant up by the roots. Wearing long clothing is recommended when removing the wild chervil and washing exposed skin afterwards.

Another challenge is that the aggressive spread of chervil is often well beyond the reach of the town’s mower that passes along the roadside trimming in the public right.  That’s where property owners and volunteers can help to reduce the spread and protect the native vegetation. 

Care should be given while removing or mowing chervil to look for nesting birds and pollinators. For more information about wild chervil and other invasive plants, checkout the VTInvasives website or contact the State Invasive Plant Coordinator, Elizabeth Spinney at elizabeth.spinney@vermont.gov. 

A former member of the Waterbury Conservation Commission, Mike Hedges lives in Waterbury and is assisting with invasive plant outreach.