Chervil is an herb native to the Middle East, Russia and the Caucasus but has spread to much of the world including the more northern areas of North America. It is generally grown as an annual but in milder areas can be a biennial. To propagate, sow seeds in the ground or in pots in the early spring or fall– they need light to germinate and do not transplant well. Space plants 15 in. apart. This plant prefers cool weather in moist well-drained soils in partial to full sun. The leaves and flowers are used to season poultry, seafood, and vegetables and have an herbal, parsley, faint licorice flavor. They are often added to omelets, salads, butters and soups. Chervil is a great companion plant for radishes and lettuces. Use in a container or edible garden. The fern-like leaves are attractive enough to use in the garden and the flowers attract pollinators. Click here to see a calendar of planting schedules, time-to-harvest, and recommended spacing. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Watch for slugs.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf value
Edible
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Light green feathery tripinnate leaves may be curly or flat with a mild aniseed flavor. They are similar to parselyleaves but finer.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Edible
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small white 5 petaled flowers in umbrels 1-2 inches across. Blooms late spring to summer.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit value
Edible
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Middle East, Russia and the Caucasus
Distribution
world-wide
Wildlife value
Attracts pollinators to the nectar and pollen-rich flowers
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Leaves; Flowers; Seeds
Edibility
Leaves common, but flowers and seeds as well; Use leaves in salads, soups, sauces, teas, and butters. Leaves can be harvested throughout the summer and fall.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Has been used medicinally in the past
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container
Landscape theme
Edible Garden
Design feature
Small groups
Garden tags
#edible garden #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #partial shade tolerant #edible leaves #edible flowers #white flowers #biennial #showy leaves #early childhood #annual #herb garden #child #children #preschool #early care #easy edibles #edible