Parsley is cultivated all over the world for food as a herb and as a vegetable. Its natural habitat is found in the Mediterranean areas of countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Sardinia, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Israel and more. It is frequently used in the native dishes of these countries.
Parsley, or Petroselinum, belongs to the carrot, Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family. In the tropics, it is an annual, but in the temperate zone, it is a biennial, which means that it takes two years for the plant to complete its life cycle.
Parsley is classified into three types: curly group, single leaf group, and root group.
The curly group is curly parsley, Petroselinum crispum var. crispum. This is what you usually see as a garnish on your plate in restaurants. It holds its shape well and stays bright green. Fresh parsley can be consumed after meals to freshen breath.
The group of plain leaves is flat parsley or Italian parsley, Petroselinum crispum var. Neapolitan. Nutritionally, parsley is a good source of vitamins A for eye health, C for the immune system, and K for bone and heart health. Cooking with parsley is easy because it is a mild herb and not too strong in a dish. Italian flat parsley is far superior in flavor to the familiar curly leaf.
The root group is the Hamburg parsley or root parsley, Petroselinum crispum var. Hamburg tuberosum or Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum Hamburg Arat, which is cultivated both for its edible leaves and thick parsnip-like root. It is believed that root parsley was cultivated in Sardinia and later imported to England in the mid-1500s.
Aside from people using parsley as a food source, the grass is also a host plant for butterflies, especially the Eastern Black Swallowtail butterflies. Their caterpillars, sometimes called “parsley worms,” can devour parsley in no time. Once the mature caterpillars enter the chrysalis stage, they stay put for about two weeks before they grow into beautiful butterflies. Be sure to plant additional parsley to share with the “parsley worms”.
Parsley is an easy to grow herb. It thrives in full or half day sun, preferably afternoon sun, and well-drained soil. A side coating of compost is usually sufficient as a fertilizer. An occasional dose of liquid fertilizer will not hurt.
You can buy parsley plants, which I do, or grow them from seed. Growing parsley from seeds is easy once you know the seeds have an inhibitor on their seed coat to prevent rapid germination. Be sure to soak the seeds for 48 hours before planting them, otherwise the seeds may not germinate. I grow my parsley, both curly and flat leafed in pots on my porch. Both are good fillers for flower pot combinations. I love the convenience of going out on the porch when I want parsley for my cooking.
Both flat leaves and curly leaves are categories of herbs to be judged at the Beltrami County Fair. Make sure your specimens are free from insect damage, the stems are intact, and the bouquet looks healthy.
Much of the information in this column was gathered from an article by Shirley Mah Kooyman.
These articles on local gardens will come to you weekly throughout the gardening season, but gardening information can be found year round by clicking on “Yard and Garden” on the extension website. University of Minnesota, www.extension.umn.edu, or by visiting our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Beltramicountymastergardeners.
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