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Petroselinum crispum
Parsley
| A popular garnish, sprinkle fresh or dried Parsley on potatoes, in soups or use as a substitute for basil in pesto. Full foliage makes it attractive in herb, vegetable or flower gardens. A creative use for the curly type is as an edging in an annual bed. Biennial, though grown as an annual. Best planted new every year. If allowed to bloom, second-year foliage is not tasty. The flowers, however, attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies. Harmless green and yellow caterpillars, called parsleyworms, eat some leaves but turn into swallowtail butterflies. Seeds are difficult to germinate, so use transplants. In areas with cloudy summers, grow parsley in full sun. In other areas, grow in partial shade. |
The curly type is the most popular and the most ornamental. Grow the large flat-leaf Italian or French types for the best flavor. The large leaves resemble those of celery. Another type, Hamburg Parsley, is grown for its parsnip-like roots, which are eaten like a vegetable.
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Attributes - Petroselinum crispum
Plant Type: Biennial
Bloom Season: Early Summer through Mid Summer
Flower Color: Yellow
Foliage: Deciduous
Height: 1 ft. to 2 ft. 8 in.
Width: 2 ft.
Sunlight: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Climate: Zones 6, 7, 8, 9
Notes: Edible.
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