Moira’s Herbal – Parsley

Petroselinum crispum hortense
AKA: Parsley

General Size & Description: This biennial plant grows 18-24 inches high. The leaves of this variety of parsley are flat and dark green, though other varieties may have curly leaves. Small, creamy white flowers bloom in the summer.

Warnings: In the wild, there is a highly poisonous plant, Aethusa cynapium, which looks and smells like parsley. Be sure you have a positive ID on any plant you collect outside your garden!

Cultivation
Sun & Location: Hardy to USDA Zone 5, parsley prefers partial sun and room to grow a long taproot.

Soil preferences: Deep soil prepared with plenty of compost fertilizer.

Spreading habit: Non-invasive.

Propagation: Grows very slowly from seed. Keep seeds moist, or they will not germinate. I recommend buying parsley starts from a reputable grower. Parsley does not transplant well, so once plants are established, leave them in place.

Container gardening: Parsley grows well in containers that are large enough to accommodate its taproot. Keep well watered and fed.

Maintenance:
Spring – Sow seed or plant starts
Summer – On second-year plants, cut flower stalks as they appear.
Fall & Winter – Protect first-year plants from cold. Remove second-year plants and prepare soil for spring planting.

Pests: Slugs (also see Notes below)

Harvest: Pick leaves and use fresh or freeze for later use.

Notes:

• Plant plenty of parsley. This is a favorite food of the caterpillar that becomes the black swallowtail butterfly. Some folk might call the caterpillar a pest, but the butterfly is beautiful enough to be worth the loss of plants!

Culinary Uses

• Parsley is generally used as a garnish, but it can also be eaten after a meal to freshen breath.
• Included in herbal mixtures, parsley enhances the flavor of other herbs.

Period Folklore

• Symbolized death in ancient Greece and Rome. Used as a grave decoration
• According to Plutarch, the association with death was so strong that a group of soldiers on their way to battle saw a mule loaded with parsley, took this as an omen of their own impending death, panicked, and fled.
• In the Middle Ages, parsley was closely associated with the Devil. It was thought that the wickedness of parsley could only be nullified by planting it on Good Friday while the moon was rising.
• Transplanting parsley was believed to bring disaster to the household.
• It was once believed that only a witch or a pregnant woman could successfully grow parsley.