Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
A biennial grown as an annual; another swallowtail host.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 11
Light: part shade to full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: May to November
From: Mediterranean
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, butterfly and moth caterpillars.
Native to: Mediterranean. Hardy in zones 2 to 11.
The story
Parsley was the crown of Greek athletes and a Roman table herb; Jews eat it at Passover and Middle Eastern cooks build tabbouleh on it. It is a biennial that gives leaves the first year and seed the second.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, rich moist soil; sow directly in spring (slow to germinate; soak seed) or set out plants, 8 inches apart.
Growing
Water steadily and cut often. It stands light frost and often winters over under mulch to give early spring leaves before flowering.
Harvest and use
Cut outer stems at the base from eight weeks on, all season. Roots of Hamburg parsley are a vegetable.
What to watch for
Swallowtail caterpillars (let them be), and slow germination.
See if Parsley fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home