Parsley is one of the best known and most widely used herbs. It is actually a biennial, but is usually cultivated as an annual because the first year leaves have the best flavor. The crisp, tight foliage of the curly parsley is the most attractive variety to use fresh as a garnish, but the flat-leaved Italian parsley has a superior flavor when cooked. The curly variety grows 10 to 12 inches tall and the Italian about 18 inches, although a dwarf variety is available. In the second year, 2-foot-tall flower stalks appear, and their blossoms ripen into seeds. Seeds collected from second year plants and dried thoroughly will keep for two or three years.
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