Parsley

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps in hot summers.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist, watering when the soil surface begins to dry. Containers may need daily watering in hot weather.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; neutral to slightly acidic soil is suitable.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) in leaf; flowering stems can reach 3 ft (0.9 m)

Spread

8-12 in (0.2-0.3 m)

Flowers

Small greenish-yellow flowers in flat-topped clusters in late spring and summer of the second year.

Foliage

Rich green, finely divided leaves, either tightly curled or flat depending on the variety; often remains green through mild winters.

Growth

Slow to germinate and establish, then moderate.

Care needed

Low

• Thin or plant seedlings 8-12 in (0.2-0.3 m) apart.
• Water regularly during dry spells; do not leave pots standing in water.
• Work compost into the soil before planting; feed container plants lightly with a balanced liquid fertiliser during active growth.
• Apply a thin mulch around established plants, keeping it away from the crown.
• Keep a second sowing coming for fresh leaves as older plants begin flowering.

Pruning. Harvest outer leaf stalks at their base, leaving the central growing point intact. Remove flower stems promptly if you want more leaves, although flowering plants are best replaced for continued cropping.

Early spring

Sow indoors or under cover in deep modules; germination commonly takes 2-6 weeks.

Spring

Direct-sow once the soil is workable, or harden off and plant out seedlings after severe frosts.

Late spring

Thin seedlings and begin light harvesting once plants are well established.

Summer

Water during dry weather, harvest outer stalks regularly and make another sowing for later crops.

Autumn

Protect leafy plants with a cloche or move containers into a sheltered position to extend harvesting.

Winter

Harvest sparingly where plants remain green; in cold climates, plan to replace plants in spring.

• Use curly parsley as a low, textured edging around vegetable beds or herb parterres.
• Plant beside chives and thyme in a kitchen-door container, keeping parsley in the moister part of the planting.
• Thread flat-leaf parsley through edible borders for soft green foliage among flowering herbs.
• Leave a few second-year plants at the back of a potager for airy flower clusters and visiting insects.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Herb parterre, Edible landscape, Cottage garden, Formal and Small-space.

Plant it with: Chives, Lettuce, Calendula, Tomatoes, Sweet alyssum and Swiss chard.

Wildlife: Flowers attract hoverflies, small bees and parasitic wasps. In North America, the foliage feeds black swallowtail caterpillars; leave them on a spare plant if possible.

• Slugs and snails eat seedlings: check after dark, remove hiding places and use wildlife-conscious controls where needed.
• Aphids cluster on young growth: wash them off with water and encourage natural predators.
• Leaf spot causes brown or yellow patches: remove affected leaves, water at soil level and improve spacing and airflow.
• Premature flowering reduces leaf production: keep plants watered, replace older plants and sow successive batches.

Leaves and stems are not known to be toxic to people in normal culinary quantities. Parsley contains furanocoumarins and is listed as toxic to cats, dogs and horses; eating large amounts can cause photosensitisation, with irritation or burns on skin exposed to sunlight. Do not let pets or grazing animals consume substantial quantities, and seek veterinary advice after a large ingestion.

• Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

  Its lower leaves usually have broader, more rounded lobes than flat-leaf parsley, and crushed leaves have a distinctly different scent.

• Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)

  This deadly poisonous plant develops much taller growth, finely divided leaves and smooth stems commonly marked with purple blotches. Young plants are harder to distinguish;

• Fool's parsley (Aethusa cynapium)

  This poisonous weed has finely divided leaves and conspicuous narrow, downward-pointing bracts beneath its small white flower clusters. Do not eat parsley-like volunteer plants unless their identity is certain.

Petroselinum comes from Greek words meaning 'rock celery', while crispum means 'curled', referring to the curled foliage of some forms.

Propagation. Grow from seed, sown shallowly in moist compost or soil. Use fresh seed and allow 2-6 weeks for germination. Direct sowing or deep modules minimise disturbance to the taproot; parsley may also self-seed if flowers are left to mature.

Accepted botanical name

Petroselinum crispum

Native range

Greece, Morocco, Yugoslavia and Algeria.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 6.5. Average height 57 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.