Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Also called Flat-leaf parsley and Curly parsley
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitBiennial — it flowers in its second year and then it's done. Sow a new one each spring.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 3 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 0.3 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Biennial
- Origin
- Mediterranean
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: sensitivity to sunlight (sunburn and skin irritation), but only after a large amount has been eaten.
PeopleIrritates skin
Safe to eat: leaves.
HandlingTake care handling it
Furanocoumarins — sap plus sunlight burns skin.
Checked against ASPCA, RHS and Johnny's Selected Seeds on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- The oldest outer leaves take on a dull bronze-red cast and the plant flags in the middle of a warm day although the soil is damp.Carrot fly · pest
- Pale dried blisters inside the leaf blade, thin enough that holding the leaf to the light shows the grub's tunnel.Celery leaf miner · pest