Parsley Giant Italian Flat Leaf

Description

Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum – giant Italian flat-leaf parsley

Botanical name: Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum
Common names: Parsley
Family: Apiaceae (carrot family)
Plant type: Biennial herb, usually grown as an annual
Habit: Neat, clump-forming rosette
Pot size: 1 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 25–40cm tall × 25cm spread
Foliage: Large, flat, deeply divided glossy dark green aromatic leaves on robust stems
Flowers: Flat umbels of tiny greenish-yellow flowers in its second year; usually grown for its first-year foliage
Scent: Aromatic foliage
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist, fertile, humus-rich; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H5 (hardy, to about −15°C); USDA zones 5–9
Exposure: Sheltered or open
Native range: Species native to the Mediterranean
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic; as with others in the carrot family, the foliage may occasionally cause mild skin sensitivity in bright sun

Giant Italian flat-leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum) is a robust, leafy aromatic herb with large, flat, glossy dark green leaves. Vigorous and productive, it is superb in herb gardens and pots.

GardenAdvice notes

A leafy aromatic herb, parsley forms neat rosettes of fresh green foliage. It is biennial — producing its lush leaves in the first year and flowering, setting seed and dying in the second — so it is usually grown as an annual for its foliage and resown each year. It is easy and productive in moist, fertile soil.

Growing & planting

Plant or sow in moist, fertile, humus-rich soil in full sun to partial shade, keeping the soil reliably moist. Parsley grown from seed is famously slow and erratic to germinate, so young plants like these give a welcome head start. Space about 20–25cm apart. It grows well in containers.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Keep it moist and well fed for lush leaf growth, and pick regularly to encourage more. In its second year it runs to flower and seed and then dies, so most gardeners resow or replant each year for a steady supply of young foliage. Watch for dryness, which makes it bolt.

Propagation

• Seed: Sow seed in spring or summer in warm, moist soil; germination is slow, so patience or young plants help.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free. Carrot fly can affect the roots, and it may bolt (run to seed early) if allowed to dry out or get too hot. Keeping it moist and cool prolongs leaf production.

Uses in the garden

Ideal in herb gardens, containers, window boxes and the front of borders, and as neat, leafy edging; the second-year flowers are attractive to beneficial insects if left.

Wildlife value

If allowed to flower in its second year, the flat umbels attract hoverflies and other beneficial insects; parsley is also a food plant for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.

Toxicity & safety

Parsley is generally regarded as non-toxic; as with other members of the carrot family, handling the foliage may occasionally cause mild skin sensitivity in bright sunlight.

GardenAdvice tip

The giant flat-leaf Italian parsley is the robust, vigorous one — bigger, leafier and more productive than the curled types, with a strong fresh flavour. Give it moist, fertile soil and pick often; like all parsley it’s biennial and bolts in year two, so replanting annually keeps a good supply of young leaves.

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