Curly Parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. crispum) in the Parsleys Database

This is the variety I usually grow. I used to only grow it for the butterflies (and their caterpillars), but since we have two lopped eared bunnies, I grow it and split the parsley between the bunnies and the caterpillars.

I don't know whether the bunnies would eat the Italian parsley, so I avoid it while looking for the curly parsley. I'm thinking that the Italian variety might have some strong "flavor" that they wouldn't like, and I'm not going to take a chance.

Because I've been splitting the parsley between the two groups, I make sure to rinse the parsley very well before giving any to the bunnies.

I grow organically, and our bunnies really enjoy the home grown parsley so much that they "turn their noses up" if I give them parsley from a store.

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Most descriptions say that the Italian Flat Leaf parsley has stronger flavor than the curled variety, but I find it just the opposite, especially when chopping for cooking. Also, after growing both kinds for well over 10 years, I have found that the Italian flat seems to be a little bit hardier.

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Petroselinum crispum is a larval host plant for the Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Black Swallowtail caterpillars bear some resemblance to Monarch caterpillars.

This plant also attracts beneficial insects to the garden, including tachinid flies, parasitic mini-wasps, and hoverflies. These beneficial insects eat a variety of common garden pests, such as aphids, armyworms, codling moths, European corn borer, flies, gypsy moths, cabbageworms, May beetles, sawflies, squash bugs, and many other small caterpillars and insects.

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