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Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Parsley is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Parsley
Plant it in part sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Expect it to reach about 12 in tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Parsley
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Parsley into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 7 in April.
Good to know about Parsley
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
The ASPCA lists it toxic to dogs, cats and horses: eaten in quantity plus sun, it can cause skin reactions and stomach upset. A normal food for people. per ASPCA
Worth knowing
Parsley is really a biennial, not an annual. Year one it grows the leafy rosette you harvest; if it overwinters, year two it bolts, turns bitter and dies. per NC State
How much sun it wants
Full sun where summers are cool; partial or afternoon shade where summers are hot and humid, which keeps it from wilting and bolting. Part-sun suits most gardens. per Minnesota and Clemson
Black swallowtail caterpillar host
Like dill and fennel, parsley feeds black swallowtail caterpillars on its first-year leaves. Damage is minor since they are few; handpick or tolerate them, or plant extra for the butterfly. per Wisconsin
Slow, erratic to germinate
Seed takes two to five weeks to sprout, and unevenly. Soak it overnight first, or start from transplants; older seed germinates worse. per Illinois
Wants rich, moist soil
Unlike lavender or thyme, parsley wants rich, moist, well-drained soil full of organic matter, near-neutral pH (about 6.0 to 7.0). Do not give it lean, dry ground. per NC State
Curly, flat-leaf, and Hamburg
Three kinds: curly for garnish, flat-leaf (Italian) with stronger, sweeter flavor from more essential oil, and Hamburg, grown for its parsnip-like edible root. per Wisconsin
What pairs well with Parsley
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sneezeweed
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Perennial Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Joe Pye Weed
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; both offer pollinator forage; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Lavender
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Rosemary
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Cleome
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Sweet Alyssum
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; lower at 5 in, for the front of the border.
Rhododendron
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
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