Practical
Plants

Petroselinum crispum tuberosum

Hamburg Parsley

a biennial member of the Petroselinum genus in the family Umbelliferae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Parsley is said to contain the alleged 'psychotroph' myristicine[10]. Although perfectly safe to eat and nutritious in amounts that are given in recipes, parsley is toxic in excess, especially when used as an essential oil[11].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - raw or cooked[15][19]. Parsley is frequently used as a garnish or as a flavouring in salads and many cooked dishes, but has too strong a flavour to be eaten in quantity for most palates. The flavour of this form is inferior to the species[11]. The leaves are difficult to dry but are easily frozen[7]. Very rich in iron, parsley is also a good source of vitamins A, B and C[8]. Root - raw or cooked[2][13][15]. They can be grated into salads, baked or added to soups etc[5]. The root is harvested from autumn until new growth commences in the spring. It is hardy enough to be left in the ground during the winter, though can also be harvested in late autumn or early winter and stored in a cool, frost-free place, making sure that it does not dry out. Alternatively, the root can be cut into slices and then dried in a cool oven[12]. The root has a delicious flavour, intermediate between that of celery and parsley but with a nuttier flavour[16][5]. A tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves, it is rich in vitamin C[9][5]. An essential oil is obtained mainly from the leaves - used as a food flavouring[18].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Parsley is a commonly grown culinary and medicinal herb that is often used as a domestic medicine. Its prime use is as a diuretic where it is effective in ridding the body of stones and in treating jaundice, dropsy, cystitis etc[17][11]. It should not be used by pregnant women, however, because it is used to stimulate menstrual flow and can therefore provoke a miscarriage[21][11]. An infusion of the roots and seeds is taken after childbirth to promote lactation and help contract the uterus[11]. Parsley is also a mild laxative and is useful for treating anaemia and convalescents[12]. All parts of the plant can be used medicinally, they are antidandruff, antispasmodic, aperient, carminative, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, galactofuge, kidney, stomachic and tonic[17][21][22][9][3][8][11]. Caution is advised on the internal use of this herb, especially in the form of the essential oil. Excessive doses can cause liver and kidney damage, nerve inflammation and gastro-intestinal haemorrhage[11]. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women or people with kidney diseases[11]. A poultice of the leaves has been applied externally to soothe bites and stings[17][21], it is also said to be of value in treating tumours of a cancerous nature[17]. It has been used to treat eye infections, whilst a wad of cotton soaked in the juice will relieve toothache or earache[12]. It is also said to prevent hair loss and to make freckles disappear[12]. If the leaves are kept close to the breasts of a nursing mother for a few days, the milk flow will cease[21].

Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Aperient
Product or use
Birthing aid
Product or use
Carminative
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Galactogogue
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A good companion plant, repelling insects from nearby plants[6][20].

Product or use
Essential
Product or use
Repellent

Environment

Range
A garden form of P. crispum.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow late winter to early spring in situ. Germination can be slow, it helps to mark the rows by mixing a few radish seeds with the parsley seed[15]. Germination time can be reduced by pre-soaking the seed for 12 hours in hot water that is allowed to cool quickly, but be careful not to overdo the heat and cook the seed.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a moist well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[17][2][14][16][19][7]. Prefers a good light soil that is not too light or acid[1], growing poorly in light acid soils[7]. A form of P. crispum (parsley) grown mainly for its enlarged edible root, the leaves can be used in all the ways that parsley is used and they are said to be hardier than parsley. Superficially similar to several poisonous species[21]. A good bee plant[4][6]. A good companion plant, especially for growing near roses, tomatoes, carrots, chives and asparagus[4][6][20][8], giving them all added vigour and protection against certain pests, especially carrot root fly and rose beetles[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0

    ↩1↩2

  3. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩

  4. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  9. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩1↩2

  10. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

  11. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  12. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8

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  14. Brown. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.

    ↩

  15. Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  16. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  17. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  18. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  19. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  20. Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-584-10141-4

    ↩1↩2

  21. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  22. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

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