Description
Quick Info
- Life Cycle: Biennial (usually grown annually)
- Height: 10–16 inches
- Spacing: 8–10 inches
- Bloom Time: Second year (if not harvested)
- Light: Full sun to part shade
- Soil: Moist, rich, well-drained
- Zones: 4–9
- Pollinators: Supports swallowtail butterflies when allowed to flower
Description
f you’re planting herbs, chances are the parsley plant is already on your list. It’s easy to grow and fits just about anywhere — in raised beds, garden rows, or even a sunny pot on the porch. As long as the soil drains well and you remember to water it now and then, parsley will keep giving you fresh leaves for months.
There are two kinds: curly parsley and flat leaf parsley. Curly has the frilly look and is often used for garnish. Flat leaf is stronger in flavor and easier to chop — most home cooks go for that. Honestly, growing both side by side works great. Just snip what you need, and the plant keeps producing.
If you let it keep growing into the second year, it’ll send up flowers. Swallowtail butterflies love those, and if you let the seeds drop, you might see new parsley popping up next spring. It’s a grow-it-once, enjoy-it-forever kind of herb — low effort, lots of reward.
