Photo: Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Parsley

Petroselinum crispum

Also known as Garden Parsley, Rock Parsley, Curly Parsley, Persil

At a glance

Family

Apiaceae (the carrot and celery family)

Type

Biennial herb, almost always grown as a hardy annual

Parts used

Leaves (fresh and dried), stems, and occasionally the root or seed

Size

8 to 24 inches tall, forming a tidy mounded clump

Bloom

Small yellow-green umbels appear in the plant's second year, in early summer, right before it sets seed and finishes its life

Habitat

Native to the rocky, sunny hillsides of the central Mediterranean, now grown in kitchen gardens on every continent

Acquisition

Grow or buy

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Rich in vitamins A, C, K

Traditional digestive settler

Freshens breath naturally

Traditional mild diuretic

Traditional uses

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Parsley has ridden along in the human kitchen for well over two thousand years, first as a medicinal and ceremonial plant and only later as the garnish it is best known for today. The ancient Greeks considered it too sacred and too bound up with death and mourning to eat freely, weaving it into funeral wreaths and crowning victors at the Isthmian games with it, while Roman cooks were the ones who finally put it on the plate, chewing the leaves after rich meals to settle the stomach and sweeten the breath. Across medieval Europe it became a household standby, tucked into broths and simples as a gentle tonic for digestion and for easing water retention. That long domestic history is really why parsley earned its permanent seat at the table, not as a decoration but as a working herb people reached for daily.

How to grow & use it

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The full apothecary for Parsley

Traditional remedies and step-by-step preparations, a complete growing guide, and how to harvest, dry, and store it, all unlocked with HerbLens Unlimited.

✦Remedies & preparations
✦ Growing guide
✦Harvest & storage

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Pairs well with

✦Mint
✦Lemon Balm
✦Fennel

Substitutes

✦Chervil
✦Cilantro

Choose it when

“For the small, faithful herb that quietly finishes every plate and every pot.”

Did you know?

The ancient Greeks thought it unlucky to eat parsley at all, believing it had sprung from the blood of the fallen hero Archemorus, so for centuries they wore it in funeral and victory wreaths instead of putting it on the table.

Safety

Parsley in ordinary culinary amounts is safe for most people, but concentrated parsley seed or seed oil has traditionally been avoided during pregnancy for its uterine-stimulant reputation. It's rich in vitamin K, so it may interact with blood thinners like warfarin, and its oxalate content means people prone to kidney stones should use it in moderation.