An angel of a plant (Angelica)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Angelica
Date:	04/03/07 (271 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Aromatic, adds taste to food, insects like it

Disadvantages: grows a bit big for small garden

There are about 50 species of the genus Angelica. Angelica is a member of the Umbelliferae family. The Umbelliferae family includes the carrot and also hedge parsley.

I am going to talk about 2 of the Angelica species the wild angelica Angelica sylvestris and the one that is grown in the garden and commercially Angelica archangelica.

First the wild angelica. Angelica sylvestris. This plant is a perennial found in most places in the British Isles. Angelica sylvestris likes a damp soil like’s clay soil I rarely see it in the chalky Chiltern Hills where I live. Angelica likes to grow in the woodlands or edge of woodland. Angelica does not like the full sun.
This plant grows tall about 2 metres and about ½ a meter wide. The leaves are a bright green and if you look you can see they are related to the carrot as the leaves are divided into leaflets which have serrated edges. Not as feathery as a carrot but you can see the resemblance. A hollow stem grows quite tall and at the top of it is the flower head. The flower head is a slightly rounded flat topped group of little flowers, lots of little clusters of flowers that are on short stalks. These flowers are white or slightly pink
Angelica is the white spotted pug moth larva food plant. Slugs and snails also like wild angelica. The flower is a good nectar source for some butterflies and other winged insects. If left the hollow stems create good hibernating places for insects. Angelica is the larval food plant of thewhite spotted pug moth Bordered Pug, Grey Pug, Lime-speck Pug and The V-Pug. slugs and snails also like wild angelica

If you are sure of its identification this plant is edible the leaves can be used as salad or can be cooked as a veg. so if you were stuck in a wildplace with angelica no need to starve , but be sure of the identification as it is similar to some poisonous plants .
Angelica sylvestries is also used in folk medicine the roots and seeds are antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic, and a tonic, but again I would not recommend home dosing unless you really know what you are doing.
This plant can also be used to dye materials gives a yellow dye. I was reading about angelica on the web and I notice that applied to the hair it gets rid of head lice!! Not so sure about that but might give it a whiz when I next contract them from my school students.

Now to Angelica archangelica. This is the plant that you will most likely buy to grow in your garden and this is the plant grown commercially.
This plant looks very much like the wild plant I have just described has a white greenish coloured flower and the stems are not round but fluted. They have a purplish tint .This plant can be eaten like a celery but again check your identification guide. The leaves of this angelica can be added to soups and stews for flavour, goes well with fish. The seeds are aromatic and bitter in taste; these can be used to enhance drinks, Vermouth and similar preparations, liqueurs like, Chartreuse. You may be most familiar with the candied stalks of angelica used in cookery to decorate sweets and Deserts. This is an aromatic plant with a slightly bitter taste. Apparently it is good if you suffer from bottom burping as it will calm your system.
Angelica would look good grown at the back of a border. Angelica so named because an angel appeared to a monk in plague-ridden Europe and showed a monk this plant as a cure. . Be careful though as Angelica can make your skin sensitive to sunlight and make you burn more easily. Angelica is often used as a girl’s name it is one of the characters in the children’s series Rug rats.
Thanks for reading about angelica I shall not grow any in my garden as my soil is not really suitable. But it is a worthy plant for a wildlife garden.

Summary: A perriannial herb