Italian Parsley  

   Parsley, Italian and Curly, are not annuals which confuses many customers as to why each year they have to replace them.  Parsley is a biennial, a plant that lives for two years, however the second year the plant is not intent on producing leaves but is set on survival and the energy of the plant is directed toward seed production.  Most HerbFest buyers replace it yearly.
     Herbanites buy most of their herbs so they can use the leaves either for culinary purposes or possibly for aromatic, decorative everlasting arrangements.   Most herb seeds are for regeneration with some exceptions such as cilantro where the seed becomes the spice, coriander.   Once the plant no longer is producing leaves then the practical use of the plant is lost for most people who use herbs for cooking.

      Parsley will survive a second season but only to become long and spindly, hardly any leaves and a long, extended stalk with possibly 3-4 leaves at the end.  As soon as possible the plant will develop seeds and then dies.  There is hardly any practical use whatsoever for a second year parsley plant simply because there are no leaves and the stalk does not provide the culinary benefits.

     This is the reason,  for the herbanite,  that parsley is considered an annual and not what it truly is, a biennial.