Chaerophyllum bulbosum aka Turnip Root Chervil

Chaerophyllum bulbosum is a biennial in the carrot family, Apiaceae. Common names include turnip-rooted chervil and bulbous-rooted chervil. Its native range spans Europe, northern Türkiye and Central Asia. It grows in temperate regions and is not native to Britain or Ireland. In Türkiye, it occurs in fallow fields and water meadows. Gardeners sometimes grow it as a root crop.

The plant reaches about 4 feet (1.2 metres) tall. Its edible root grows to roughly the size of a small carrot. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects pollinate the flowers, and the plant is self-fertile. Beds and meadow settings offer places to grow it. Its main recorded garden use is food rather than medicine.

This species grows in sun or light shade. It accepts sandy, loamy and clay soils, but prefers moist ground. PFAF describes it as easy to grow in most soils. It reports a tolerated pH range of 4.6 to 7. Its broader soil guidance also includes mildly alkaline ground. PFAF lists USDA hardiness zones 5–9. Sow seed where the plants will grow, preferably in autumn. Seed storage needs care, since dry seed may lose viability or become dormant. Dormant seed may take a year to sprout. For spring sowing, keep seed in damp sand somewhere cold but frost-free. Sow this stored seed in March.

The root can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw roots are firm, starchy and aromatic. Cooking gives them a sweet taste and floury texture. PFAF reports that peeling reduces their flavour. Roots contain about 20 percent starch and 4 percent protein. From autumn sowing, harvest often falls in July or August. The dying foliage marks the harvest stage. Roots can stay in the ground until needed or enter storage like potatoes. PFAF also lists young stems as food, either raw or cooked.

Food use needs a clear caution because the safety evidence conflicts. PFAF cites a report calling both leaves and roots poisonous. That same report also describes cultivation for edible roots. PFAF questions the claim that the root is poisonous. This does not settle the safety of every plant part. The supplied evidence gives no known medicinal or other uses. It also reports no weed potential.