Parsley, also known as Parsley Root, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Apiaceae family. In the wild, it is widely distributed in Europe and Asia, including Ukraine, where it occurs naturally. In its first year, parsley forms roots and a rosette of leaves, and in the second year, it develops a stem, inflorescences, and seeds. Historically, parsley was used for both culinary and medicinal purposes across much of Europe, and in Ukraine it appeared in the 17th century under the name "field borscht." Today, the plant is cultivated worldwide, although wild forms persist in Southern Europe, Turkey, the Balkans, and the Caucasus.
Parsley is highly cold-resistant: its roots overwinter well in the soil with sufficient snow cover or light hilling. Cold resistance is provided by high levels of dry matter, phosphorus, potassium, and fibrous structure of the roots. The best winter survival rates are shown by varieties with long roots, whose main part is thicker and whose tips are buried 4–5 cm deep in the soil, unlike round varieties with burial depth of 1–2 cm. Parsley seeds begin to germinate at temperatures of +5°C, seedlings emerge within 15–20 days, and can withstand frosts down to -3...-5°C, whereas mature plants tolerate frosts down to -7...-8°C.
The plant is light-loving, especially during the early stages of growth and development. Parsley requires well-moistened soil, which must remain evenly moist throughout the entire growing season, although excess moisture and proximity of groundwater negatively affect its condition. Parsley belongs to the group of aromatic vegetable crops with high dry matter content, making it valuable for culinary use as well as for folk medicine.
