Parsley, (Petroselinum crispum) a member of the carrot family, is a lot more than a decorative green bit on the side of a restaurant plate. The Greeks and Romans knew parsley well as a medicinal plant and a seasoning. In fact, it is one of the most nutritious of all herbs. An excellent source of vitamins A and C, it also contains niacin, riboflavin and calcium. Rich in chlorophyll, parsley is also a breath freshener.
Parsley's taste appeal is world-wide. The Japanese deep fry it in tempura batter. Greeks mix large amounts of it with tomato sauce to create the unique moussaka flavoring. Spaniards use parsley as the prime ingredient in salsa verde, and the English make parsley jelly. Both the common, (curly), and Italian (flat-leaved) parsleys are ideal for garnishes and for flavoring soups, stews, salad dressings, and sauces, but Italian parsley reportedly has the best flavor. Grow both types in the kitchen or herb garden.
Parsley leaves are comprised of 3 leaflets on short stems, that branch in threes at the tips of 8 inch long bare stalks. Leaves of common parsley are dark green with divided tips which curl tightly. Those of Italian parsley are a lighter green and more deeply divided and feathery, resembling celery foliage. A common parsley plant typically grows 9 to 18 inches tall and spreads about 6 to 9 inches. An Italian type may grow to 3 feet tall.
Although parsley is a biennial--its life spanning two seasons--it is usually treated as an annual and is pulled up at the end of the first season. That is why its flowers, which appear in early summer of its second year, are seldom seen. They are flat clusters composed of tiny, greenish yellow florets, and resemble Queen Anne's lace. As with most herbs, flowering tends to make the foliage bitter and less useful for cooking. However, parsley flowers host many beneficial insects, including butterfly larvae, so it may be worth allowing some plants to winter over and flower the next season.