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Herbal Glossary | Medicinal Glossary | Herbal Preparations | Ayervedic Formulas | Chinese Formulas ParsleyContents:Common Names | Parts Usually Used | Plant(s) & Culture | Where Found | Medicinal Properties | Biochemical Information
Scientific Names
Common Names
Parts Usually UsedFruits, berries, stems, leaves, and roots
Description of Plant(s) and CultureAn erect, hairless perennial plant with a distinctive scent. It has shiny, pinnate leaves with triangular-lobed leaflets, often curled in cultivated plants. The small yellowish flowers grow in flat-topped, compound umbels, each with 8-15 smaller umbels. Fruits are egg-shaped, ridged, somewhat flattened. Other varieties: P. hortense; P. crispum; extra curled dwarf; neapolitanum; gigante; tuberosum; decora. The Chinese use the herb (Apium petroselinum) (“Inn sai” is the Chinese name) and call it parsley. Seems it is used similarly to Petroselinum sativum L. Some have categorized parsley as in the carrot family, some in the umbel family and yet others say it has its own parsley family. Let the reader choose or if anyone has proof of which is correct, please forward the information.
Where FoundCultivated and occasionally found growing wild in waste places or around buildings in eastern and Pacific areas of the United States and Canada. Gathering of wild parsley is not recommended.
Medicinal PropertiesDiuretic, carminative, anthelmintic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, antispasmodic, aperient, laxative, carminative Biochemical InformationApiin, apiol, bergaptein, calcium, fatty oil, flavone glycoside, furanocumarin bergapten, iodine, iron, isoimperatorin, mucilage, myristicene, volatile and essential oils, parsley camphor (apiin), petroselinic acid, phosphorus, pinene, potassium, and vitamins A and C.
Legends, Myths and StoriesSome references claim that parsley belongs to the carrot family. It is claimed, when the parsley herb is rubbed against a glass goblet or tumbler, it will break it. The cause of this phenomenon is unknown. Rose bushes like for parsley to be grown near them, because they keep away rose beetles. Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe and has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. It was originally used as a medicinal plant (see below) prior to being consumed as a food. Ancient Greeks held parsley to be sacred, using it to not only adorn victors of athletic contests, but also for decorating the tombs of the deceased. While it is uncertain when and where parsley began to be consumed as a seasoning, historians think it may be sometime during the Middle Ages in Europe. Some historians credit Charlemagne with its popularization as he had it grown on his estates.
UsesA sweet plant that contains a substance in which tumor cells cannot multiply. Good for goiter, obesity, edema, dropsy, swollen glands, epilepsy, bed-wetting, fluid retention, rheumatism, sciatica, lumbago, jaundice, indigestion, asthma, coughs, colds, fever, gas, night blindness, swollen breasts, menstrual disorders, promotes onset of menses, snakebites, bruises, dropsy, eye infections, and worms. For thyroid, lung, stomach, bladder, gall stones, kidney stones, liver, and can be used to treat gravel and stones of the kidney. It also makes a good eyewash. It purifies the breath as well. The oil of parsley rubbed on the scalp is purportedly able to stimulate hair growth.
Formulas or DosagesA tisane of dried herb is made when fresh is not available. Eat raw or steep chopped leaves and stems in hot water. Drink 1 cup daily.
Nutrient ContentCalcium, fatty oil, iodine, iron, phosphorus, rich in potassium, and rich in vitamins A and C. Rich in vitamins and minerals. Good source of chlorophyll. (Try it after eating onions or garlic)
How SoldParsley tablets or fresh cut herb
WarningDo not use parsley if a kidney infection is present. Do not take parsley juice or oil if pregnant, it is a uterine stimulant. Best grown in the garden rather than gathered wild, since it resembles poisonous wild plants like Poison Hemlock.
Resource LinksLiveStrong.com: Benefits of Juicing Parsley Natural Health Techniques: Parsley Bibliography
Herbal Gardening, compiled by The Robison York State Herb Garden, Cornell Plantations, Matthaei Botanical Gardens of the University of Michigan, University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley., Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition
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Common parsley
The Nature Doctor
, by Dr. H.C.A. Vogel; Keats Publishing, Inc., 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. Vogel, Teufen (AR) Switzerland 1952, 1991
, by Jethro Kloss; Back to Eden Publishing Co., Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994Copyright © 1996-2010 Lynn DeVries, all rights reserved.