Herb · Apiaceae
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Offer it rich soil, steady moisture, and a little patience while it sprouts, and parsley keeps your kitchen in fresh leaves.
Full sun
Every 2–4 days
50–75°F · 10–24°C
70–90 days
Overview
Parsley is a wonderfully dependable herb for a first kitchen garden, a member of the carrot family that gives you bright, clean-tasting leaves. It shows up in two friendly forms, the tightly ruffled curly type and the bolder flat-leaf Italian type, and the flat-leaf kind carries the stronger flavor. Either one will settle in happily in a garden bed or a pot on a sunny sill, so you can grow it wherever you have room.
One thing worth knowing is that parsley is a biennial, and that shapes how you enjoy it. The first year is all leaves, and that is the harvest you are here for. When the second year comes the plant changes course, pushes up a flower stalk, and the foliage turns tough and bitter, so most gardeners simply and cheerfully start fresh from seed each spring.
Once it is up and going, parsley asks very little of you, though getting it started does take a bit of patience. The seed is famously slow and can take weeks to sprout, and the taproot underneath would rather not be disturbed. Sow it where it will stay, keep the soil evenly moist, and it will thank you with months of cutting.
Care
The short version: give it full sun to part shade, rich and well-drained soil that stays evenly moist, and a steady monthly feed, and fresh leaves will keep coming all season.
Light
Parsley is happiest in full sun, yet it takes partial shade in stride, which makes it a forgiving pick for a spot that loses the afternoon light. Where summers turn hot, a bit of shade through the worst of the day keeps the leaves tender and helps the plant feel at ease.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist and try not to let the plant dry out all the way, which matters most in pots and through hot spells. Watering every 2 to 4 days usually does it, and there is no need to overdo it, since soggy roots are the one thing parsley truly minds.
Soil
Give it rich, well-drained loam worked with a little compost so it holds moisture without turning soggy. A pH between 6.0 and 7.0 suits it beautifully, landing anywhere from slightly acidic to neutral.
Temperature
Parsley loves it cool to mild and grows best from 50°F to 75°F (10°C to 24°C). It shrugs off a light frost without complaint, though a long hot stretch can nudge it to bolt and turn bitter.
Humidity
Ordinary household humidity of about 40% to 60% suits parsley just fine, so you need not fuss over it. What helps more is good airflow, since leaves that stay damp in still, crowded air are where leaf spot likes to begin.
Feeding
Feed monthly through the growing season with a balanced fertilizer or a friendly side-dressing of compost. That steady little nudge is what keeps fresh leaves coming back after each cutting.
Pruning
Here the harvest is the pruning, which is a happy thing. Cut the outer stems at the base once the plant has settled in, and regular picking pushes fresh growth from the center. In the second year, snap off flower stalks as they appear to hold bolting off a while longer.
Repotting
Container parsley appreciates a fresh start about once a year, since its taproot fills a pot before long. Roots circling the soil, quick drying, and pale stunted top growth are the plant's gentle way of saying it is time to move up or, more often, resow.
Size & spacing
Parsley stays neat and compact, reaching 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 cm) tall with a spread of 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm). Give each plant that much elbow room so air moves freely and the leaves dry nicely between waterings.
When to plant
Good news for the impatient gardener: parsley is cold-hardy and gets moving early. Start seed indoors in late winter or direct-sow in early spring a few weeks before the last frost, and you will be cutting leaves right through the first season. The flower stalk and seed arrive in the second year.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 8-10 weeks before the last spring frost
- Plant: Early spring, a few weeks before the last frost; parsley is cold-hardy
- Harvest: Harvest outer leaves once plants are full in the first year; flowers and seeds form in the second year
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Parsley is a forgiving herb, and most of its little troubles turn up on the leaves or trace back to soggy soil. Learn the handful of common signs and you can step in early, while it still helps. Match what you see below and act with confidence, knowing most of these are recoverable.
Stems flop over at the base while the roots go soft and dark
This is stem and root rot, and it comes from soil that holds water too long and drains too slowly. Once the base has gone soft there is sadly no rescuing that plant, so lift it out and let it go without regret. The good news is the fix is simple: sort out the drainage before you replant, and go easy on the watering can with anything in a pot.
Fix:
- Remove and discard affected plants
- Improve drainage before replanting
Small tan to brown spots edged in dark are creeping across the leaves
This one is Septoria leaf spot, a fungus that settles in when the foliage stays wet and the air feels muggy, and it is more of a nuisance than a disaster. The marks tend to begin low and deep in the plant, then spread and blur together the longer the leaves stay damp. You can turn it around by thinning the plants for better airflow, watering down at the soil line, and gently pulling away any spotted leaves.
Fix:
- Remove and discard affected leaves
- Improve air circulation by thinning plants
- Avoid overhead watering
A tall flower stalk rises and the leaves turn tough and bitter
There is nothing you did wrong here, because this is bolting, and for parsley it is usually just a biennial following its nature in the second year. A stretch of heat or stress can bring it on sooner. Since there is no turning it back, the kind thing to do is treat parsley as an annual, replant each spring, and pick generously before that seed stalk climbs.
Fix:
- Start new plants from seed each year rather than maintaining biennials
- Harvest heavily before bolting
- Remove flower stalks to briefly prolong leaf production
Fat green caterpillars ringed with black and yellow are grazing the leaves
Take heart, because this is the parsleyworm, the young form of the eastern black swallowtail, and it does no lasting harm to a healthy plant. It moves through the outer leaves quickly, so you can lift the caterpillars off by hand or, as many gardeners happily do, settle them on a spare plant to finish growing into butterflies. Sowing a little extra parsley leaves plenty to share with them.
Fix:
- Handpick caterpillars if leaf supply is limited
- Relocate caterpillars to a sacrificial plant since they become swallowtail butterflies
- Cover plants with row cover if protection is needed
Toxicity
Parsley is a safe culinary herb for people, and a sprig in your dinner is nothing to fret about. The one thing to keep in mind is the furanocoumarins it shares with the rest of the carrot family, which can give pets and grazing animals an upset stomach or sun-sensitive skin if they eat a real quantity. Cats, dogs, and especially birds deserve a gentle, watchful touch, so tuck harvested bunches out of reach.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Mild
One curious nibble is really nothing to worry about, but a cat that manages a full mouthful may feel queasy and get loose stools for a while. Those furanocoumarins can leave the skin a bit touchy in sunlight too, so it is worth keeping bunches up out of reach.
Dogs Mild
Most dogs handle a small culinary bit of parsley just fine, so a stolen scrap is no cause for panic. A large helping is another matter, since the same furanocoumarins can bring drooling, an upset tummy, and skin that reddens in the sun.
Horses Mild
A horse that grazes through a big stand of parsley can turn photosensitive, so light-skinned patches may redden and chap after a while out in the sun. Keeping heavy grazing in check is the gentle safeguard here.
Rabbits Mild
A few leaves make a lovely little treat, so there is no need to worry over the occasional share. Offer too much, though, and the furanocoumarins can unsettle the gut, so it is kindest to keep parsley as an occasional part of the greens.
Livestock Mild
Goats, sheep, and cattle can pick up sun-triggered skin irritation if they graze hard on parsley over time. A stray plant out in the pasture, happily, rarely adds up to anything troubling.
Birds Mild
Birds are the tender ones of the group and deserve the lightest touch. The concentrated furanocoumarins can irritate the gut and skin even in modest amounts, so it helps to offer parsley now and then rather than as a staple green.
People Safe
Rest easy, because parsley is a kitchen staple and perfectly safe to eat. Handling huge quantities of the fresh plant in bright sun can leave sensitive skin prone to a rash, but that is a job-site worry, not a mealtime one.
Furanocoumarins can cause sun-triggered skin and eye irritation in animals that ingest substantial amounts; small culinary garnish quantities are typically low-risk.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
A few distinct kinds of parsley find their way into gardens, sorted mostly by whether you are after the leaves or the root. These are the ones worth getting to know by name.
Curly parsley (var. crispum)
Its tightly curled, ruffled leaves make it a lovely choice for garnish and for tucking along the front edge of a bed where you can enjoy the frill.
Italian flat-leaf parsley (var. neapolitanum)
If flavor is what you are after, this is the one to grow, since its flat, deeply cut leaves carry the strongest taste that cooks love.
Hamburg parsley (var. tuberosum)
This friendly oddball is grown for its thick, parsnip-like taproot rather than for the leaves up top.
How to propagate
Parsley is grown from seed, and that is truly the only way most gardeners begin it. The gentle art is simply working with its slow sprouting and its dislike of being moved, and you can absolutely manage both.
SeedModerate
Spring; start indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost or direct-sow when soil can be worked · About 3-4 weeks to germinate, plus several more weeks to establish
Growing parsley from seed simply asks for a little patience, and you are more than up to it. Start it indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost, or direct-sow once the soil can be worked, and give it around 3 to 4 weeks to germinate plus several more to fill out. A gentle overnight soak of the seed nudges sprouting along. Because parsley sets a taproot and does not like being moved, sow it right where it will grow or shift young seedlings with a soft hand.
Myths
Parsley is a safe culinary herb, so it poses no risk to pets.
Garden parsley does carry furanocoumarins, the same family of compounds found across the carrot family, and a pet that eats a large amount can get an upset stomach or skin that burns in the sun. Small garnish-sized portions are low-risk, and the toxic 'spring parsley' on the ASPCA list is a different plant entirely, Cymopterus watsonii.
Parsley seed simply will not germinate.
Do not lose faith, because the seed does sprout, only slowly, and the wait can stretch to several weeks before you see anything. A helpful trick is to soak the seed overnight before you sow it, which brings the sprouting along a little sooner.