You could grow it just for its name, however Angelica Archangelica syn. Angelica officinalis has a lot more to offer the gardener.
A biennial plant that loves moist conditions Angelica Archangelica is used both as a culinary herb and a cottage garden plant, as well as being grown for medicinal purposes for centuries.
As a garden plant
Growing well in part shade in a humus rich moist soil A. Archangelica makes a dramatic addition to the garden border It grows well from zones 4 through to 9, however it is in the colder zones that it thrives. Its natural habitat is from Northern Europe, the Scandinavian countries, so it does like the cold.
The leaves look a lot like celery and the fragrance is a licorice type. The flowers are the main attraction, large umbels that can reach 8 – 12 inches in diameter. Chartreuse flowers are very attractive.
Reaching over 4ft in good conditions and with white flower heads rising above the aromatic foliage in late spring to summer.
As a herb and medicinal plant
- The stems are the part used in culinary practices, they are candied and are sold in widely in France, used as decoration on cakes and in confectionary. The stems are candied in sugar and water.
- In the past Angelica has been used as a remedy for all sorts of complaints, said to be good for colds and such. However many negative effects are also reported, we only recommend the plant for garden uses.
Care
Cool moist positions are the best. It is a plant that will grow in damp areas where many others will not survive.
Varieties
- Angelica archangelica
- Angelica pachycarpa
Propagation
Propagation is from seed, however they can take some time to germinate.
You can also propagate from root cuttings and side shoots removed from two year old plants.
Pruning
This is a biennial plant, it will not flower in its first year. Most gardeners like to deadhead the spent flowers so that seed does not set. This serves two purposes.
- It prevents self seeding.
- It encourages the plants to re emerge the next spring
Angelica Archangelica is available for sale from the following nurseries
DIGGING DOG NURSERY phone (707) 937-1130
PO Box 471 Albion CA 95410
