Hey fellow gardeners! I’ve noticed lots of confusion about plants that look similar to parsley lately As someone who’s been growing herbs for years, I want to help you avoid any dangerous mix-ups. Let’s dive into these parsley look-alikes and learn how to tell them apart!
Why You Need to Be Extra Careful
I can’t stress this enough – some plants that look like parsley can be deadly poisonous Just touching some of these plants can cause severe reactions, and eating them? Well, let’s just say we don’t want to go there
The Most Common Parsley Look-alikes
1. Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
This is the bad boy you really need to watch out for. Here’s what makes it different from parsley:
- Grows super tall (5-8 feet)
- Has purple spots on hollow stems
- Smells musty and unpleasant (like mice)
- Smooth stems without hair
- Larger, more spread-out leaves
2. Fool’s Parsley (Aethusa cynapium)
Another tricky one that’s fooled many gardeners
- Brighter green leaves than regular parsley
- Smooth stem (parsley has tiny hairs)
- Produces white flower clusters
- Can cause severe poisoning if eaten
3. French Parsley/Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
This one’s actually edible but still worth knowing:
- Lighter green color
- Delicate, lacy leaves
- Slight anise/licorice flavor
- Grows about 2 feet tall
- White flower clusters
4. Chinese Parsley/Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
Super common in gardens:
- Similar leaf structure
- Distinct citrusy smell
- Bolts quickly in warm weather
- White flowers
- Height: 11-20 inches
5. Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
Found in wild areas:
- Much taller than regular parsley
- Hairy leaf undersides
- Hollow stems
- Large white flower clusters
- Mild parsley-licorice taste
6. Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis)
A common weed:
- Grows about 2.5 feet tall
- White hairy stems and leaves
- Sticky seeds that cling to clothes
- Larger white or pink flowers
How to Stay Safe
Here’s my tried-and-true checklist for identifying true parsley:
-
Check the Height
- True parsley stays under 1 foot tall before flowering
- Most dangerous look-alikes grow much taller
-
Examine the Stems
- Parsley stems are green and slightly hairy
- Watch out for purple spots or smooth stems
-
Smell Test
- Parsley has a fresh, distinct herb smell
- Toxic look-alikes often smell musty or unpleasant
-
Location Matters
- If you didn’t plant it, don’t eat it!
- Be extra careful with wild-growing plants
Pro Tips from My Garden
I’ve learned these tricks the hard way:
- Always wear gloves when handling unknown plants
- Take photos and consult experts if unsure
- Keep kids and pets away from look-alike plants
- Mark your parsley clearly in the garden
- Remove any suspicious volunteers immediately
When in Doubt
If you’re ever unsure about a plant:
- Don’t touch or taste it
- Take clear photos
- Consult a local extension office
- Ask experienced gardeners
- Use plant identification apps
Final Thoughts
We gotta be super careful with these parsley look-alikes, y’all. I’ve seen too many close calls in my gardening groups. When in doubt, just remember – it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Keep growing, but grow safely!
Have you ever encountered any of these parsley look-alikes in your garden? Drop a comment below and share your experience!
Aethusa cynapium (Fool’s Parsley)
| Also known as: | |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Aethusa |
| Family: | Apiaceae (Carrot) |
| Life cycle: | annual, biennial |
| Origin: | Europe |
| Status: |
|
| Habitat: | part shade, sun; |
| Bloom season: | July – August |
| Plant height: | 1 to 2 feet |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | none |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): | |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |
Pick an for a larger view. See the glossary for icon descriptions.
Several flat clusters (umbels) at the tips of branching stems and arising from upper leaf axils. Umbels are 1 to 2 inches across, made up of 10 to 20 smaller clusters (umbellets), each with 20+ 1/8-inch white flowers. Individual flowers have 5 petals, notched at the tip, 5 stamens and a greenish white center. Flowers around the perimeter of an umbellet typically have enlarged petals on the outer edge.
Around the base of an umbellet are 3 or 4 conspicuous, linear bracts that are hairless, much longer than the flower stalks, and bend down away from the flowers (reflexed). The main umbels lack bracts, though a small leaf resembling a bract may be at the base of the umbel stalk. Flower, umbel and umbellet stalks are ribbed with minute hairs along the ribs.
Leaves are 2 or 3 times compound, up to 5 inches long and wide, triangular in outline. Leaflets are divided and fern-like, medium to dark green, hairless, and somewhat shiny on the upper surface. Basal and lower leaves are largest and long stalked, becoming smaller and stalkless as they ascend the stem.
Stem leaves are sheath-like where the stalk joins the stem, the sheath ribbed and hairless with whitish, membranous edging. Stems are erect, much branched, ribbed, and may have minute hairs along the ribs especially in the upper plant.
Fruits are broadly egg-shaped, slightly flattened, about 1/8 inch (to 4mm) long, and split into 2 seeds.
Seeds are thick-ribbed and narrowly winged. The remains of the style persists at the tip.
If you do a web search for Fools Parsley, youll get gobs of results praising its medicinal values, notably as a remedy for milk allergies in children as well as a variety of mental conditions. It is, however, quite poisonous. “A Manual of Weeds” by Ada E. Georgia notes “its Greek name means ‘to burn’, which indicates the sort of agony that its victims feel”. Since the leaves look much like the garden variety Italian parsley, the common name seems rather fitting. Fools Parsley joins the list of non-native carrot introductions that includes Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) a.k.a. Queen Annes lace, Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum), Caraway (Carum carvi), Japanese Hedge-parsley (Torilis japonica), and Wild Chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris). More will come, of that we are pretty certain.
The only collection of Fools Parsley in Minnesota dates back to 1878 in Lake City, Wabasha County. While this may indicate a hardiness issue, it was more recently discovered at the MN Landscape Arboretum, so it might be persisting after all. The resemblance to Queen Annes Lace and other white carrot species spreading along roadsides across the state is possibly masking its actual distribution here. Fools Parsley is most easily distinguished by its hairless leaves, sheaths and stems, the 3 or 4 long, drooping, linear bracts at the base of an umbellet, the main umbels lacking bracts, and the hairless, ribbed fruits. The fern-like leaves are probably most similar to Japanese Hedge-parsley, which has stiff appressed hairs on leaves and stems, 2 to a few thread-like bracts at the base of umbels but not the umbellets, and hooked hairs on its fruit.
PARSLEY GROWING GUIDE: Seed to Harvest
FAQ
What is the plant that looks like parsley?
Aethusa cynapium (Fool’s Parsley)
What plant is similar to parsley?
Chervil is closely related to parsley, but has a milder flavor which makes it the perfect alternative for dried parsley. Check out some of the other substitutions, below: Chervil. Tarragon.
What is Devil’s parsley?
The bright green leaves are quite large, triangular and 2-3 times pinnate. The seeds are black and elongated. Also known as Devil’s Parsley, possibly because of its resemblance to the highly poisonous Hemlock, this plant occurs in accounts of withcraft practices. It is a native plant belonging to the Apiaceae family.
What does Fool’s parsley look like?
The leaves are dark green, 2 to 3 times pinnate with each leaf segment finely divided like those of true parsley. Lower leaves are on slender stalks, the upper sessile or nearly so. Leaves have a very disagreeable odor when crushed.