- Hardiness
- Zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Average, about an inch a week
- Size
- 1 ft
- Start indoors
- 10 weeks before planting out
Growing tip. Slow to sprout, so soak the seed overnight first. It feeds swallowtail caterpillars, so plant a little extra.
When to plant parsley by zone
| Zone | Median last / first frost | When to plant | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3b | May 16 / Sep 25 | Plant outside: Apr 18 to May 16 Start seeds indoors: around Feb 7 | Too cold |
| 4a | May 12 / Sep 28 | Plant outside: Apr 14 to May 12 Start seeds indoors: around Feb 3 | Too cold |
| 4b | May 8 / Oct 1 | Plant outside: Apr 10 to May 8 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 30 | Too cold |
| 5a | May 3 / Oct 5 | Plant outside: Apr 5 to May 3 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 25 | Comes back |
| 5b | May 1 / Oct 10 | Plant outside: Apr 3 to May 1 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 23 | Comes back |
| 6a | Apr 29 / Oct 16 | Plant outside: Apr 1 to Apr 29 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 21 | Comes back |
| 6b | Apr 22 / Oct 22 | Plant outside: Mar 25 to Apr 22 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 14 | Comes back |
| 7a | Apr 16 / Oct 25 | Plant outside: Mar 19 to Apr 16 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 8 | Comes back |
| 7b | Apr 5 / Nov 1 | Plant outside: Mar 8 to Apr 5 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 1 | Comes back |
| 8a | Mar 29 / Nov 7 | Plant outside: Mar 1 to Mar 29 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 1 | Comes back |
| 8b | Mar 16 / Nov 14 | Plant outside: Feb 16 to Mar 16 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 1 | Comes back |
| 9a | Mar 2 / Nov 26 | Plant outside: Feb 2 to Mar 2 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 1 | Comes back |
| 9b | Feb 1 / Dec 9 | Plant outside: Jan 4 to Feb 1 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 1 | Comes back |
Zones 10 and warmer have little or no frost. There, plant cool-season plants in fall and warm-season plants from late winter.
Similar herbs
CilantroFull sun to part shade · Grown as an annual in every zoneChivesFull sun to part shade · Zones 3 to 9SpearmintFull sun to part shade · Zones 4 to 9Lemon balmFull sun to part shade · Zones 4 to 9LovageFull sun to part shade · Zones 3 to 8Garden sorrelFull sun to part shade · Zones 3 to 9
More for your zone: zone 5 herbs, zone 6 herbs, zone 7 herbs, zone 8 herbs, zone 9 herbs.
Frequently asked questions
What zone does parsley grow in?
Parsley is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Elsewhere it is grown as an annual. Find your zone by ZIP code.
How much sun does parsley need?
Full sun to part shade. Full sun means at least six hours of direct sun a day; part shade means about three to six.
Hardiness ranges, light and size are typical figures from university extension services and botanic garden plant records; a named variety can differ, so check its tag. Planting dates come from each zone's median frost dates (NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals) and the timing rules in how we check.