This is a tall annual herb with fringelike divided leaves and large umbels of white flowers.

The plant is cultivated on a small scale in parts of Europe for the edible tubers, which look like a dark gray carrot with yellowish-white flesh.

The styles only elongate after pollen is shed, which prevents selfing almost completely under wild, optimal pollination conditions.

[4] Native, wild populations are distributed in Europe from Ukraine to France and from Sweden to Italy.

In France and Germany, wild populations can be found in the Rhine and the Weser River basins.

In the wild, tuberous-rooted chervil grows in dense populations, mainly along river banks.

[5] The plant has been grown since the Middle Ages but only survived as a garden crop in France without any named varieties.

At the end of the 20th century breeding programs focused on this alternative crop mainly due to its delicate flavor.

Through breeding achievements of French scientists, this alternative crop gained agricultural importance in regions like Loire Valley (France) and the north of Brittany.

[14] The seeds require exposure to cold temperatures (vernalization) to break dormancy in spring.

[16] In the first year of growth, after sprouting in spring, the tuber develops with a leaf rosette just above ground.

Due to the requirement of a dormancy period, it is almost mandatory to sow the seeds directly after harvest for the upcoming season.

Because of this, and due to the low yield and poor germination of the seeds, Chaerophyllum bulbosum has hardly spread in commercial cultivation.