Crop guide
How to grow parsley
How to grow parsley means matching cited biennial and leaf-form notes to your bed, keeping sources separate by geography. There is no single trick.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Steps (range, not a promise)
- 01Read cited biennial notes — moss-curled, flat-leaf, and taproot stay source-specific.
- 02Match height and light notes to the sheet for your geography.
- 03Log the bed so next season is not a guess.
Parsley plants in a home garden bed.
The season, on your ground
Save this bed — freeWhen to plantHarvestGarden pests
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Hardy biennial grown as an annual. Moss-curled and flat-leaf. Taproot.
Details and limits (3)
Types
Illinois Extension (Illinois): parsley is a hardy, biennial that is grown and treated like an annual. There are two distinct types of parsley: moss-curled and flat-leaf. Moss-curled forms a rosette of leaves that are finely cut and tightly curled. Flat-leaf produces a rosette of leaves that are flat. Identification.
Types
Illinois Extension (Illinois): when transplanting parsley take extra care not to damage the taproot. Transplant note.
Limit
Illinois herbs parsley page. Identification only — not a start calendar.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Hardy biennial usually treated as an annual.
Details and limits (2)
Types
Maryland Extension (Maryland): parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a hardy biennial that is usually treated as an annual. Identification.
Limit
Maryland parsley page. Identification only — not harvest.
University of Minnesota Extension (Minnesota)
Carrot family. Biennial. Curly parsley 8 to 14 inches.
Details and limits (2)
Types
University of Minnesota Extension (Minnesota): common parsley, Petroselinum crispum, is a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae). Biennial life cycle. Gardeners usually grow it as an annual in our region, because the plants often die during cold winters. Curly parsley typically grows 8 to 14 inches tall. Identification.
Limit
Minnesota growing-parsley page. Identification only — not harvest.
Clemson HGIC (South Carolina)
Biennial. Flat-leaved and curled forms. Light shade.
Details and limits (2)
Types
Clemson HGIC (South Carolina): two forms are commonly available, the flat leaved or Italian parsley and the curled or French parsley. Parsley is a biennial, producing leaves the first year and flowers the next. Grow parsley in light shade with rich, moist soil. Identification and light note.
Limit
South Carolina combined herbs sheet. Parsley identification only — not harvest.
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Sources differ
Verified suppliers only
No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.