Common name: Parsley
Family: Apiaceae, Carrot
Height x width: 6-12" x 12-15"
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: deeply pinnately divided, some lay flat and others are crinkled depending on cultivar, stems are grooved
Flowers: tiny, greenish in compound umbels, inconspicuousand unimportant
Hardiness: biennial used as an annual
Soil: well-drained, moist
Light: sun, part shade
Pests and problems: prefered food of swallowtail butterfly larvae
Landscape habit, uses: edging, pots, herb gardens, butterfly gardens, indoors.
Culinary--pick leaves anytime and dry or freeze; add raw to salads or chop and sprinkle over sandwiches, in soups, over vegetables; root can be boiled as a vegetable
Household--supposedly improves rose health when grown near
Cosmetic--use infusion as a hair tonic and eye bath; add to facial steam and lotion for dry skin
Medicinal--raw leaves chewed for fresh breath and healthy skin, infusion used to aid digestion, poultice used for sprains, wounds and insect bites
Other interest: native to north and central Europe; ancient Greeks used it to decorate warriors, athletes and tombs, and used it medicinally; Romans used it extensively for food and in garlands for guests to wear at banquets to discourage intoxication and mask odors; rich in minerals and vitamins.
Other culture: shear for branching and new growth
Propagation: seed (15,000 seeds per ounce), put in lukewarm water and allow to soak overnight before sowing, sow 6-8 weeks before planting out or sow direct
Species:
crispum (cris-pum')--main species
Cultivars:
| Cultivars, other taxa | common name | leaves |
| 'Afro' | Moss Curled | upright, long stems, curled, RHS award |
| 'Clivi' | same | dwarf, prolific, lower leaves stay green |
| 'Crispum' | Curled P. | finely cut, tightly curled, strong, popular |
| 'Forest Green' | same | not as deeply cut or curled |
| 'Green River' | same | double curled, branching, compact |
| 'Italian Plain Leaf' | same | neopolitanum, earlier than variety |
| 'Moss Curled' | same | standard curled type |
| var. neapolitanum | Italian or French P. | flat, dark green, strong flavor |
| 'Omega' | Root Parsley | thick, long edible roots, good leaves |
| 'Pagoda' | same | dark green, triple curled, vigorous |
| 'Paramount' | same | dark green, triple curled |
| var. tuberosum | Turnip-rooted, Hamburg P. | thick, white edible root, nutty flavor |
Return to Perry's
Perennial Pages | HGPO
course | PSS123 course