Common Names: Flat-leaved Parsley, Italian Parsley
Species: Petroselinum crispum Neopolitanum Group
Family: APIACEAE
This is a close up of one of several flower inflorescences produced by my two year-old Italian parsley plant growing in my backyard, at the time the photo was taken most of the individual flowers were still in bud. Parsley is a biennial and does not flower or set seed until its second year. Unfortunately the plant will die after it sets seed and as of typing this the particular plant is no longer with us, however some of its self-sown progeny have risen to takes it's place. Most people only use parsley as a garnish, but I like the flavour and even chop up large amounts of it and stir it through a cooked dish at the end like you would with any other green leaf vegetable. The flowers of flat-leaved parsley (like most Apiaceae family members) are good for attracting beneficial insects into the garden, such as aphid-eating hover flies and native bees.
