Angelica sylvestris Seeds | Wild Angelica

Broad white umbels of Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris) in a damp meadow — Wild Angelica (*Angelica sylvestris*): Apiaceae, a tall herb of European fens, ditches and wet woodland edges.

LATIN NAME: Angelica sylvestris

COMMON NAME: Wild Angelica

Plant Profile

Wild angelica is a stout biennial or short-lived perennial of the carrot family, native to damp meadows, fens, ditches and woodland edges across Europe and western Asia. It grows one to 2.5 metres tall on hollow, purplish stems, with large, twice- or thrice-divided leaves and broad, rounded umbels of white to pinkish flowers from July to September.

The whole plant smells of celery and musk when bruised. It dies after flowering and seeding, leaving a tall brown skeleton that stands through winter and holds seed for the birds, which is why a colony can look dead in autumn and come back thickly the following spring.

Science & Biotechnology

The species is the wild relative of garden angelica and of the Chinese dong quai, and comparative phytochemistry has looked at how its coumarin and essential oil profile differs from both. It is also a well-used indicator in wetland surveys, since it prefers unimproved, consistently damp ground and declines when drainage or fertiliser is applied.

In Britain it is one of the main larval food plants of the swallowtail butterfly in the Norfolk Broads, which has made it a target for fen management. Seed-bank studies show that the seed remains viable in wet soil for several years, so colonies can reappear after a period of unsuitable management.

Uses & Benefits

The stems are candied in some northern European traditions, though the plant is far less used in the kitchen than garden angelica, and the roots have a folk record as a digestive and expectorant. The main garden value today is ecological: the broad umbels feed hoverflies, solitary bees and short-tongued flies in late summer.

The seed heads stand well into winter and catch frost, which gives structure to a wet meadow planting. It suits a pond margin, a wet meadow or the back of a damp border, where its height can be used to screen a fence or a shed.

In Scandinavia the young stems were once peeled and eaten raw, and the root was boiled as a vegetable.

Growing from Seed

Angelica seed loses viability fast, so sow it fresh in late summer or stratify for six weeks. Surface-sow onto a moist, humus-rich mix, cover with a dusting of compost, and keep at 15-18C in light. Do not let the tray dry out. Keep the pot shaded until the seedlings are established.

Plant out in damp soil in sun or part shade, and expect the plant to flower in its second or third year and then die. Let a few heads set seed to keep the colony going, and do not cut the old stems until spring, since they shelter overwintering insects. A mulch of compost helps hold moisture through the first summer.

Our Take

Wild angelica is at its best in a damp, informal corner where its height and its insects can be appreciated. It is not a plant for a tidy border, but it earns its space in a wildlife garden.

Herb Seeds