Plain Parsley Petroselinum seed crispum neapolitanum

LATIN NAME: Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum

COMMON NAME: Plain Parsley

The plain parsley lances the broad, flat leaves above the sturdy stalks, the whole plant standing in the neat, leafy look of the herb bed. The fast-growing, biennial herb carries the broad, flat, dark-green leaves with the smooth, slightly lobed edges, on the strong, upright stalks, in the open crowns, and the small, greenish-yellow flowers in the flat-topped umbels, on the tall, branching stalks, through the early summer of the second year, one of the neat, quiet sights of the herb bed, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, ribbed, grey-brown seeds. The ribbed seeds have a very long record as the fine, plain parsleys of the old gardens, and the plant is a historic presence of the herb bed. It is a plant of the open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The plain parsley is a historic subject of the plant science, and the broad leaves keep showing up in the work on the plain parsleys. The way the small, greenish-yellow flowers form in the flat-topped umbels has been studied steadily, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the plain parsleys, the lobed leaves and the members of the carrot family. The ribbed seeds and the sturdy habit have also made it a fine study herb, and the plain parsley is a regular subject of the work on the broad leaves of the temperate world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The plain parsley is a neat, useful plant of the herb bed and the study collection. The broad, flat, dark-green leaves with the smooth, slightly lobed edges, on the strong, upright stalks, carry the neat look of the herb bed, one of the neat, quiet sights of the herb bed, drawing the bees, and the ribbed seeds have a very long record as the fine, plain parsleys of the old gardens, the strong, leafy tops coming to the stocks, the stews and the steady practice of the old kitchens, while the small, greenish-yellow flowers in the flat-topped umbels, on the tall, branching stalks, open through the early summer of the second year, to be followed by the small, ribbed, grey-brown seeds. It is one of the fine choices for the herb bed, the border row and the study collection, and it has been written up in the culinary and the horticultural papers for the broad leaves and the very long history. It is a neat, useful plant of the open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden.

The plain seeds are happy in a light, gritty soil kept moist. The young plants are sturdy and steady, and they appreciate the deep, rich ground of the herb bed.

To grow the plain parsley from seed, sow the small, ribbed seeds evenly into the seed tray of light, gritty soil, water gently, then keep the tray in a bright, open spot. The seedlings come through within a couple of weeks, and they grow on steadily. With the sun and the deep, rich, moist ground, the broad leaves will lance over the year.

Uses: Culinary
European character to soups and stews. Standard variety for flavouring, slightly earlier maturing than above. Deeply cut, bright green leaves with excellent flavour.