Moss Curled Parsley Seeds

The Classic Curly Garnish — and a Genuinely Nutritious Herb

Moss Curled Parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. crispum) is the tightly ruffled, bright green curly parsley that most Canadians grew up seeing on restaurant plates. It’s often dismissed as a garnish, but that undersells it considerably — curly parsley is nutritionally exceptional (high in vitamins C and K, folate, and iron), genuinely flavourful in its own right, and one of the most productive herbs you can grow in a Canadian garden. The densely curled leaves are milder and slightly more bitter than flat-leaf Italian parsley, with a clean fresh flavour that holds up well both raw and cooked.

Parsley is a biennial — it produces leaf in its first year and flowers/seeds in its second before dying. In practice most gardeners treat it as an annual, resowing each year for consistent leaf production. The densely curled variety is also more decorative than flat-leaf, making it useful in ornamental kitchen gardens and as a container herb. Caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail butterfly use parsley as a host plant — something to welcome rather than deter if you garden with wildlife in mind.

🌱 How to Grow Moss Curled Parsley

Parsley has a reputation for slow, difficult germination — and that’s partly earned. The seeds contain germination-inhibiting compounds that can be overcome by soaking seeds in warm water for 24 hours before sowing. Sow 6mm (¼ inch) deep at 15–21°C (60–70°F); germination takes 14–28 days and is often uneven. Patience is required. Start indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost, or direct sow outdoors 2–4 weeks before last frost in prepared soil.

Transplant carefully — parsley has a taproot and doesn’t like disturbance. Use biodegradable pots that can be planted whole. Space 20–25cm (8–10 inches) apart in a location with full to partial sun and consistently moist, fertile soil. Regular harvesting from the outside of the plant keeps it productive all season. Never strip all the leaves at once — always leave at least half the plant intact. See our companion planting guide: Vegetable Companion Planting Chart.