Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
A hardy biennial herb grown as an annual for its fresh, grassy leaves. Flat-leaf types have more flavor; curly types are prettier and tougher. It's also a favorite food of black swallowtail caterpillars, so plant extra.
Growing facts
- Scientific name
- Petroselinum crispum
- Origin
- Central and eastern Mediterranean
- Plant size
- 10–18 in clumps; taller when it flowers in its second year
- Growth rate
- Slow to medium
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Rich, moist, well-drained soil
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
- Pollination
- Not needed for leaves
- Cold hardiness
- Takes frost, often down to about 10–20°F; struggles in peak summer heat
- USDA zones
- Annual or biennial in all zones
- Harvest
- 70–90 days from seed (seeds are slow to sprout); about 30 days from transplant
- When to plant (zones 9–11)
- Sep–Feb
- When to plant (zones 5–8)
- Mar–May
- Water
- About every 3 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
- Feeding
- About every 30 days
- Taste
- Fresh, green and slightly peppery
- Nutrition
- Very high in vitamin K, with vitamins C and A
Is parsley safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts
What you can eat
- Leaves and stems
- Roots of Hamburg (root) parsley
Toxic parts and cautions
- Toxic: Never forage wild plants that look like this one. Poison hemlock and water hemlock are close relatives with similar lacy leaves and white flower umbrellas, and both can kill. Eat only what you planted yourself.
- Take care: Very high in vitamin K. People on warfarin should keep the amount they eat steady.
- Good to know: Food amounts are safe in pregnancy, but parsley oil, seed and large medicinal amounts are not.
- Good to know: Sap on skin followed by strong sun can cause a rash or blisters in sensitive people.
Pets: A small garnish is fine for dogs. Large amounts can make dogs, cats and horses sensitive to sunlight.
How to eat and enjoy parsley
- Tabbouleh (Levant)
- Chimichurri (Argentina) and gremolata (Italy)
- Salsa verde
- Chopped over almost anything
When it's ripe
Cut outer stems at the base once the plant has 10 or more stems. Keep the center growing.
Storing it
Stand stems in a jar of water in the fridge for 1–2 weeks. Freeze chopped leaves.
Parsley varieties (5)
Dark Green Italian · also Italian Flat Leaf, Flat Leaf
The standard flat-leaf Italian parsley.
Taste: Robust
Forest Green
A tall curled parsley with long stems for easy cutting.
Holds up well in heat.
Giant of Italy · also Italian Giant
A large, vigorous flat-leaf parsley with strong flavor.
Hamburg · also Root parsley, Hamburg Rooted
Grown for its white, parsnip-like root as well as its leaves.
Origin: Germany · Taste: Root tastes like parsley and celery
Needs deep, loose soil; about 90 days.
Moss Curled · also Curly, Extra Curled Dwarf
A compact parsley with tightly curled leaves.
Taste: Milder than flat-leaf
Pests and diseases to watch for
Scale insects
Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.
What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.
Mealybugs
White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.
What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.
Aphids
Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.
What to do: Spray off with water.
Sooty mold
Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.
What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.
Spider mites
Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.
What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.
Growing parsleys? Let Gardyn keep track.
Gardyn tells you when your parsley needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.
Request accessGeneral guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.