Parsley,Petroselinumcrispum
(Mill.) Nyman ex A.W. Hill, is a member of the carrot family that is
primarily grown for the leaves that are used as a colorful ingredient
in various recipes and as a garnish. I use it in my gumbo, and the
first time I ever saw it was as a garnish at the Liberty restaurant in
Scottsboro when I was probably still a preschooler. The garnish can be
eaten as a way to freshen breath. The plant is a biennial so it will
survive the winter when planted outside, the leaves are best from this
time until the plants bolt to bloom at which time butterflies are often
attracted. The resulting caterpillars often defoliate the plants
although by then the seed has matured. If the seed are left alone
there are some many resulting seedling that thinning becomes necessary
to produce plants of sufficient size to support a number of butterfly
larva. Otherwise many plant will be stunted and may not bloom until
the third year.
