Lofthouse Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa

Origin: Paradise, Utah

Improvement status: Evolutionary population

Seeds per packet: ~200

Germination tested 12/25: 50%

Life cycle: Biennial

These feral parsnips now hold permanent residence in our friend Joseph Lofthouse’s garden in Paradise, Utah — self-seeding, thriving among waist-high weeds, and outcompeting nearly everything else. Over many seasons, Joseph selected for vigor, winter hardiness, and stout, squat roots that can be easily lifted from hard clay soils without leaving half the crop underground.

The lineage began years ago when the heirloom 'Hollow Crown' met 'Kral' (a Russian turnip-rooted type). That cross created parsnips with broad, semi-long roots — rich, sweet, and powerfully aromatic. Their flavor carries that quintessential parsnip spice balanced by a caramel-like sweetness, especially after frost.

Save seeds from your most vigorous and winter-hardy plants. Over time, you’ll join Joseph in stewarding a truly place-adapted parsnip population — strong, self-reliant, and delicious.

GROWING TIPS: Direct seed outdoors in early spring or late fall, as parsnips
require cool soil for germination. Do not transplant. Sow thickly, then thin to 3–4 inches apart. Keep soil consistently moist until emergence (germination may take 2–3 weeks). Best grown in deep, loose soil, though this strain tolerates heavier clays remarkably well. Leave roots in the ground until after several frosts for peak sweetness.