Plant · P-606

Chervil

Anthriscus cerefolium

Chervil is a short-lived, lacy-leaved herb with a mild aniseed flavor, one of the four classic fines herbes and a staple of bouquet garni, ready to cut about eight weeks from sowing. Its delicate flavor fades in cooking, so the fresh leaf goes in at the very end, and the growing plant is said to repel slugs and protect nearby lettuce from aphids and ants. It struggles in summer heat, wanting a cool shady spot once temperatures climb and full sun only in winter, and it is hardy to about -10 C. It self-sows readily where it is happy, so a stand renews itself if a few plants are left to go to seed.