![]() It does well planted near other shade loving plants. Growing chervil near broccoli and lettuce plants can be beneficial to them. It’s also a popular treat for rabbits, squirrels, and deer. The leaves are soft and smooth on the top but very hairy on the underside.Īphids seem to love chervil so be on the look out for them. The stems of chervil have 2-4 pinnate leaves. The herb chervil looks very similar to parsley, but the leaves are smaller, lighter in color and have a more lacy look to them. Like many herbs, it’s best to harvest the leaves before flowering because older leaves have very little taste and can even turn bitter. (Umbels are flower clusters with a common center and curved surface.) If you let the plant go to flower, it will self seed. The flowers of chervil grow in clusters that form umbels in the hotter months. The herb tends to bolt in the summer from the high heat in much the same way that cilantro does. More Tips for Growing Chervil Cool lovingĬhervil is a cool season annual, so seeds sown in spring and fall will do best. You can grow chervil as a winter crop but it will need to be protected with a cold frame. Chervil does not like hot and dry conditions and will wilt easily if you don’t keep it well watered. Outdoors, chervil likes a semi sunny spot in the summer but can take more sun in spring and fall. Be sure to add compost for extra nutrients. Soil NeedsĬhervil grows best rich soils that drain well. The seeds will germinate in 1-2 weeks and will reach maturity in 40-60 days. Space a few seeds about 8″ to a foot apart and thin to the most hardy looking ones when they start to grow. Sow the seeds directly into the soil, since chervil does not transplant well as a seedling. Older seeds from last year don’t germinate well. To keep a crop coming all season long, sow the seeds every 3 or 4 weeks through spring and again throughout the fall. Most garden centers and big box stores don’t sell the herb chervil, so it’s likely that you will need to grow it from seed. Place it in a window that gets about 4 hours of sunlight a day and don’t allow the soil to dry out. Indoors, keep the pot away from heating sources. ![]() If growing in pots, be sure to use ones large enough to accommodate the herb’s long taproot. If you have a sunny windowsill, it is also a herb that can be grown indoors. The herb chervil can be grown in pots outside or directly in the ground. ![]() It’s not an easy herb to find so growing it yourself is the answer. However, the taste of wild chervil has a somewhat unpleasant flavor, which is much sharper than garden chervil.Įven though chervil LOOKS like parsley, it is definitely not as widely available as its look alike cousin. Wild chervil, also known as cow parsley, is considered to be a weed in the UK, which might be one of the reasons that is not as widely grown here in the US. The herb looks a bit like flat leaf parsley, which makes it hard to identify. Chervil is one of the four herbs (along with tarragon, chives and parsley) which make up the delicate bunch of herbs referred to as “ fines herbes”. T is widely used in French cooking and can also be used as a garnish. To me, it tastes like a cross between parsley and tarragon. The flavor of chervil is delicate and sweet with a hint of aniseed. Chervil is an annual herb which can grow to 2 feet tall. ![]() It now grows throughout Europe and North America. Close cousins are dill, parsley and fennel.Ĭhervil is a native of Southeastern Europe, southern Russia and western Asia. If you like to cook French cuisine, growing chervil is a good idea, since the fresh herb is hard to find at local grocery stores and Farmer’s Markets.Ĭhervil is a delicate herb that comes from the carrot family.
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