Honewort is a native shade-loving plant related to parsley. It is sometimes called wild chervil and said to be edible--however some plants that look similar are very poisonous so we don't recommend eating it. It can get several feet tall and it has rather inconspicuous white flowers. Like its relatives, it is eaten by caterpillars that become swallowtail butterflies. And like other plants with tiny white flowers, it is an important nectar source for small bees and wasps that are helpful in gardens because they parasitize some pest insects. 

This plant was most certainly not planted on the trail, but it has been increasing along the creek as we've stopped the mowing and tried to control the invasive species. It is exciting to see that it seems to compete pretty well with mugwort and with garlic mustard, two of the invasive species that tend to push into the shady areas along the creek. So we are doing our best to help it spread. If you look closely as you walk along the creek you will see it in the shadier areas. 

You would probably want to think hard about it before growing this in your home yard or garden. It doesn't have a lot of ornamental value, so unless you have a large naturalized space, you might want to give this one a miss.