Greater Water-Parsnip Sium latifolium
Greater Water-Parsnip (Sium latifolium) is a tall, robust aquatic plant of fens, reedbeds, and the margins of slow-moving drains and rivers, with a stronghold in the East Anglian fens. It has declined across much of Britain through habitat loss and drainage. In Suffolk, it is most frequently recorded in the Waveney Valley and the Broads fringe, as well as in the county's larger fen and grazing marsh systems. It requires open, base-rich water with stable hydrology and is sensitive to excessive shading. The species is also notable as a foodplant for the swallowtail butterfly, though that species does not currently breed in Suffolk. Image: © kirstenlykkehansen, iNaturalist.
Find out more: iNaturalist, Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora
Suffolk’s Priority Fern and Flowering Plant Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
