Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
an-THRISS-kuss cerefolium

Deciduous Biennial (usually grown as an annual near you) Upright, feathery rosette in the Apiaceae Family

Anthriscus cerefolium (Chervil, also called French Parsley) is a delicate, fern-like culinary herb in the carrot family, grown for its lacy, bright green foliage with a mild anise-parsley flavor. It bears small white flowers in flat umbels from late spring into summer. Though technically a biennial, it's almost always grown as a cool-season annual, since it bolts and declines quickly in hot summer weather. Native to the Middle East, Russia, and the Caucasus, chervil has long been a staple of French cooking, prized as one of the classic fines herbes.

Pros

  • Fast-growing culinary herb, ready to harvest in about 8 weeks
  • Tolerates shade better than most herbs
  • Delicate anise-parsley flavor prized in French cooking
  • Self-sows readily once established

Cons

  • Bolts quickly in hot summer weather
  • Doesn't transplant well — best direct-sown
  • Flavor doesn't hold up to drying or long cooking; best used fresh
This plant may be mostly winter-hardy outdoors where you live, but it may need protection to survive extreme weather.
Highlights One of the classic French fines herbes, chervil brings a delicate anise-parsley flavor to egg dishes, sauces, and spring vegetables. Its lacy, fern-like foliage and shade tolerance make it a useful herb for cooler corners of the garden where sun-loving herbs struggle, and it's ready to start harvesting in as little as two months from seed.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 12 - 24 inches tall. 12 - 18 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 6a - 9b (Usually hardy to -10° F)
Tags Biennial, Deciduous, Dry, Full Shade, Full Sun, Herb, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun
Bloom Period Late spring to summer
Flower Color White
Foliage Color
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 05/10
2024 : 02/08 - 05/18
2023 : 04/13 - 06/04

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!