Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing' - Black-leaved Cow Parsley

PLEASE NOTE: Since plants are often sourced from the garden to order, sizes do vary a little, depending on how they come out of the ground, but I always endeavour to give a little more rather than less! They are sometimes shipped bare-rooted, but will approximate the size specified (e.g. a 9cm pot).

Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing' Wildlife friendly

Black-leaved Cow Parsley

Type/Hardiness	Herbaceous, Perennial, Hardy
Flowering period	Spring/early summer
Height	24-36in/60-90cm
Light preference	Sun, Part shade
Soil preference	Well-drained, light
Sowing time/depth	Autumn, Spring, Shallow

The finely divided, ferny, deep-purple, almost black leaves of this unusual plant make a lovely contrast with other plants, particularly those that have predominantly light-green foliage. The flat heads of tiny flowers are white with small pink bracts. Please note that not all plants produced from the seeds offered will come true - see instructions below.

Sowing and/or growing instructions

Sow thinly in modules, carefully potting on when the seedlings are large enough to handle. Autumn-sown seed may bide its time until the spring before germinating, but will benefit from the cold during the winter to aid germination. The colour of the foliage can be variable - not all deep black. The true colour of the plants may sometimes take a little while to develop, so it is probably a good idea to grow the seedlings on for a little while before disposing of those that do not seem likely to live up to their potential. Some of the middling colours (reddish-green) are attractive in their own right.