🌿 Chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium
herbs
annual herb
Apiaceae
☀️ Sun
partial shade to dappled shade (bolts quickly in full sun and heat)
💧 Water
moderate to high (consistent moisture essential; never let dry out)
🗺️ Zones
3, 10 (annual, cool-season)
🧪 Soil pH
6.0, 7.0
🪴 Soil Type
rich, moist, well-drained loam; humus-rich woodland-type soil
🚿 Drainage
moist but well-drained
📏 Spacing
6, 9 inches
📐 Height
12, 24 inches
⏱️ Maturity
45, 60 days (leaves), 70, 90 days (seeds)
Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone
🤝 Companions (8)
Chervil repels aphids and cabbage worms from broccoli; both thrive in cool, moist conditions.
Chervil improves carrot flavor when planted as a neighbor; chervil's fine foliage doesn't compete with carrot roots.
Both are cool-season, shade-tolerant herbs for fines herbes blends; chives repel aphids from chervil.
Both are cool-season annual herbs that bolt in heat; share identical growing conditions and soil preferences.
Chervil enhances dill's growth and flavor; both are umbellifers with complementary beneficial insect attraction.
Chervil and lettuce share shade-loving, cool-season preferences; chervil's aroma deters slugs and aphids from lettuce.
Chervil improves radish growth and enhances its spicy flavor; both are cool-season, fast-growing crops sharing identical conditions.
⚠️ Keep Apart (4)
Fennel's allelopathy inhibits chervil
Lavender requires dry Mediterranean soil; chervil needs consistently moist rich soil. Complete cultural mismatch.
Rosemary demands drought and full sun; chervil wilts and bolts in these conditions. Cannot be grown in the same bed.
Sage prefers hot, dry, sunny conditions while chervil requires cool, moist, shaded conditions; fundamentally incompatible cultural needs.
📝 Growing Notes
One of the four classic French fines herbes. Flavor is a delicate blend of anise and parsley , use fresh (loses flavor when dried). Shade-loving annual , one of the few culinary herbs that thrives without sun. Bolts rapidly in heat; plant early spring or late summer. Succession sow every 3 weeks. Self-seeds reliably in shady garden spots. Leaves resemble flat-leaf parsley but are finer and more delicate. Excellent in containers on north-facing patios.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
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