Marsh Parsley

Cyclospermum leptophyllum

Found in freshwater marshes, bottomland forests, disturbed areas, roadside ditches. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height: 6 inches–2 feet
Spread: 6 inches–2 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Moist to standing water

See native alternatives

Cyclospermum leptophyllum — bloom photograph — (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

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At a glance

Life cycle: Annual
Bloom: April and June
Fruiting season: June to July

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Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 10 Virginia counties.

Habitats

Freshwater marshes; floodplain and bottomland forests; roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

32CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Apium

Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
Choristoneura obsoletanaObsolete Leafroller
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm

Show all 32

Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
Olethreutes bipartitanaDivided Olethreutes
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Papilio polyxenesBlack Swallowtail, Celery Caterpillar, Fennel Worm, Desert Black Swallowtail, Parsnip Swallowtail
Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
Spaelotis clandestinaClandestine Dart, W-Marked Cutworm
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Agonopterix clemensella
Depressaria cinereocostella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Apiaceae
Flower color: Pink or white
Fruit begins: June
Fruit ends: July

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to early June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Fruit begins · “June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Height · “6 inches–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Life cycle · “Annual” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Frequent standing water; Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “6 inches–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Apium leptophyllum; Ciclospermum leptophyllum; celery

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source