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When you snap a leaf and rub it between your fingers, does it smell like parsley?

Take a cutting of leaves and flowers and go to a good nursery. They should be able to tell you what it is or at least who CAN tell you. Eating unidentified plants isn't quite as dangerous as eating unidentified mushrooms, but it's probably not a good idea to risk it.

If it's wild parsley or parsnip, be VERY careful - some people (I'm one) have severe skin allergies to those two. I get a seriously itchy and painful poison ivy-type rash that spreads like wildfire if it's exposed to the sun. So I can't imagine that eating those leaves would be good for me. But if you've touched them and been ok afterwards, I guess you're not one of those people!

It's flat leaf Italian parsley and it's sending out flowers. Cut them off so the plant continues to put energy into the leaves and not making flowers (seeds).

Yes, some wild relatives of parsley look similar, so I'd check to be sure.

cilantro

You should be very careful in your identification before eating it. Some extremely poisonous plants resemble parsley (eg. hemlock water dropwort).

The greatest concern would be confusing water or poison hemlock for parsley. The leaves in the photo look like parsley to me, but I would recommend reading up on water/poison hemlock to make sure you know what not to try. Search terms to use: "fool's parsley", "water hemlock", "poison hemlock". A hint: if it kinda stinks when you bruise it, pull it out. Do your own research though, and if you still have nagging doubts, follow Tiamat_the_Red's advice and find someone who can positively identify it.

If that bit was not scary enough, poison/water hemlock are easily the most poisonous plants you are likely to find, and was the poison used on Socrates.

I've just bought a house and discovered the same plant (also by my hose). I've taken a leaf and rubbed it between my fingers, and it doesn't smell like parsley, or really anything at all.

My guess would also be parsley, but could it be lovage? Those leaves are usually much larger than parsley leaves.

looks very much like parsley - and it is blooming. check this illustration that also shows the exact same blossoms:
http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bild:Illustration_Petroselinum_crispum0.jpg&filetimestamp=20041029175434
rub a leave between your fingers and smell!

I would bet money that is lovage. Lovage smells very similar to celery. It's delicious in salads!

I agree with pam222, I would bet money that this is lovage (Levisticum officinale). It's called Maggikraut in Germany because it tastes like Maggi seasoning. Europeans use lovage a lot in soups and sauces.

looks exactly like the flat leaf parsley I buy in the store...

it's parsley.

The mystery plant is parsley. The yellow tinge on your baby italian parsley makes me think that it's nutrient deficient.

I should say, the mystery plant looks like parsley.

This looks like a Parsley plant that is in its second year. I have the same thing growing in my yard now. Parsley is a biennial, and will go to seed in its second year, then die. You should let it do so, to continue the cycle, and you'll have lots of baby parsley next year!

You can still use it, it's just not as delicate of a flavor. You can also go ahead and plant some this year, and have a rotating crop!

Like Mary K says, it looks exactly like my parsley plant that I let grow from last year. I tried using it, but it is so coarse and the flavor is so strong. Mainly the texture was just gross.

Wow, thanks for all of the help. This is Kristen, that's my mystery plant. I took your advice and rubbed the plant between my fingers. It does indeed smell like parsley, quite strongly. (I don't know why I didn't think of this before, probably because I haven't been able to smell for some weeks thanks to allergies.) But I will take a clipping to a local nursery for positive identification- I don't want to end up like Socrates.

Put on gloves take a leaf and rub in hands smell it, if youar still not sure take some to your local Master Gardner Progam in you city . ....Maj