Mitsuba
Cryptotaenia japonica
Also listed as Deringa dissecta, Deringa japonica
Also known as Japanese Honewort, Japanese Parsley, Purple-leaved Japanese Parsley
Climate Match for your location
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Mitsuba is a delicate Japanese herb with trefoil leaves and a mild parsley-like flavor prized in Asian cuisine. It thrives in moist, shaded conditions and self-seeds readily, making it valuable for woodland garden edges and permaculture systems.
Why grow it
Mitsuba offers a lighter, more delicate alternative to parsley in culinary applications, with a subtle celery-like undertone that performs well in Asian dishes where its tender texture is valued. Unlike many herbs that prefer full sun and drier conditions, mitsuba fills a niche for gardeners seeking productive plants for partially shaded sites with consistent moisture, common in woodland edges and under-canopy spaces within permaculture systems.
Watch out for
Young seedlings can be slow to establish and may require consistent moisture during germination. In warmer climates or when grown in overly rich soil, the plant tends toward bolting and decline earlier in the season than in its native cooler environment.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Apiaceae
Native Range
Japan, East Asia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Notable Cultivars
Most mitsuba in cultivation is the wild type (var. japonica); some seed catalogs offer 'Green Mitsuba' selected for vigor and leaf production.
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
Mitsuba is a delicate Japanese herb with trefoil leaves and a mild parsley-like flavor prized in Asian cuisine. It thrives in moist, shaded conditions and self-seeds readily, making it valuable for woodland garden edges and permaculture systems.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Mitsuba grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Mitsuba offers a lighter, more delicate alternative to parsley in culinary applications, with a subtle celery-like undertone that performs well in Asian dishes where its tender texture is valued. Unlike many herbs that prefer full sun and drier conditions, mitsuba fills a niche for gardeners seeking productive plants for partially shaded sites with consistent moisture, common in woodland edges and under-canopy spaces within permaculture systems.
Watch out for
Young seedlings can be slow to establish and may require consistent moisture during germination. In warmer climates or when grown in overly rich soil, the plant tends toward bolting and decline earlier in the season than in its native cooler environment.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Apiaceae
Native Range
Japan, East Asia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
Similar herbs you might consider:
Enter your ZIP code to see top native species and strong climate fits for you.
Companion Planting
Plants well with
Notable Cultivars
Most mitsuba in cultivation is the wild type (var. japonica); some seed catalogs offer 'Green Mitsuba' selected for vigor and leaf production.