Sanicle

How to recognise it

Habit

Perennial rosette plant 20–40 cm tall, with a short rhizome and an upright, almost leafless flowering stem.

Leaf

Long-stalked, hand-shaped, divided into 3–5 lobes, with toothed edges whose teeth end in a fine bristle point. Glossy dark green and hairless.

Flower

Small white to pinkish flowers in rounded heads, together forming a loose, irregular umbel; from May to June.

Fruit/Seed

Small, egg-shaped fruit that splits in two, densely covered in hooked bristles.

Roots

Short, upright rhizome with fibrous roots. The plant spreads only slowly.

Confusion with

Buttercups have dull, often hairy leaves and yellow flowers. Great masterwort (Astrantia) has large, showy bracts around the heads and grows mainly in gardens.

Flowering: May–June · Pruning: September

Why grow it?

• An indicator of ancient deciduous woodland: where it grows, the wood has often been woodland for centuries.
• The small flower heads attract flies, small beetles and small bees in late spring.
• The glossy leaves stay largely green in winter and keep the woodland floor alive.
• A pretty, quiet ground cover for a shady wildlife garden under trees.
• The hooked fruits are a fine example of dispersal by animals: they cling to fur, feathers and socks.
• Historically one of the best-known wound herbs in Europe, which explains its name and folk names.

Sanicle: where does it grow best?

• In the wild: ancient deciduous woods, woods on slopes and sunken lanes on loam or chalk, often with wood anemone and sweet woodruff.
• Half shade to shade under deciduous trees; it does not tolerate full sun.
• Humus-rich, moisture-retentive, preferably neutral to limy soil; not dry, acid sand.
• In the garden: under a tree or shrub, at a woodland edge or in a shady border with plenty of leaf mould.

Goes well with

• Wood anemone: Flowers earlier and dies back when sanicle is in full leaf.
• Sweet woodruff: A fragrant ground cover of the same loamy woodland soil.
• Bluebell: Sheets of blue in April on the same humus-rich soil.
• Yellow archangel: Flowers at the same time and likes the same half shade.
• Male fern: A tall green backdrop in the shade.

Sanicle: when and how to plant it?

1. Buy plants or seed from a nursery for native plants. Never dig plants up in the woods, certainly not in Flanders, where it is rare.
2. Plant pot-grown plants in March–April or September–October, 25–30 cm apart, in groups of three to five.
3. Sow fresh seed in autumn in a pot or tray left outside: the seed needs a cold period and often only germinates the following spring, sometimes later.
4. Mix leaf mould into the soil and after planting cover it with a thin layer of fallen leaves.
5. Water in dry spells during the first year; after that it is usually no longer needed.

Care

Water

Only in the first year and in long dry spells. A shady spot with leaf mould stays naturally moist.

Feeding

Not needed. Leave the fallen leaves of the trees where they lie: that is the best food.

Mulching

A thin layer of leaf mould or shredded leaves in autumn mimics the woodland floor.

Competition

Keep rampant plants such as ground elder, ivy and nettle at a distance: sanicle grows slowly and is easily smothered.

Peace and quiet

Do not dig or rake around the plants: the roots and seedlings are shallow.

Tip: Plant sanicle under a group of native shrubs and leave the fallen leaves in autumn: that way you build up the humus-rich woodland soil it loves.

Pruning and mowing

Pruning months: September.

When: Not really needed. If you like, cut the faded flower stems in September, once the fruits are ripe.

How:

• Cut the brown flowering stems just above the leaf rosette; leave the leaves.
• If you want seedlings, leave the stems until the fruits are ripe and come away by themselves.
• Only remove dead leaves if they smother the rosette; nature usually tidies up by itself.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow fresh seed outdoors in September–October. It needs a winter and germinates slowly and erratically.

Division

Carefully divide older clumps in March or September, with a piece of rhizome and leaves on each part.

Sanicle: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• The glossy leaves stay largely green and lie as a rosette on the woodland floor.
• Fully hardy, down to about −25 °C.
• Let the autumn leaves of the trees cover it: they protect the rosette and feed the soil.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: Young leaves are sometimes eaten. Rarely a problem in a natural garden with hedgehogs, toads and ground beetles.
• Smothering: Vigorous plants take its place. Weed in time and keep a small open space around the rosette.
• Drought: In a spot that is too dry or sunny the leaves scorch. Move it to more shade or mulch with leaf mould.
• Slow germination: Seed can lie dormant for a year or more. Do not throw the seed tray away too soon.

Through the year

• February: The wintergreen leaves lie on the woodland floor. Leave seed trays outside.
• March: Plant or divide. New leaves appear.
• April: Seedlings appear in the seed tray. Water in dry spells.
• May: Flowering begins: small white to pinkish heads.
• June: In flower. Flies and small bees on the flowers.
• July: The hooked fruits ripen.
• September: Collect seed and sow straight away. Cut faded stems. Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. Leave the autumn leaves in place.
• November: Mulch with leaf mould or shredded leaves.

Did you know?

• The name Sanicula probably comes from the Latin ‘sanare’, to heal, a reference to its former use as a wound herb; the Dutch name heelkruid means healing herb.
• Sanicle is regarded as an indicator of ancient woodland: it spreads slowly and returns to young woods only after a long time.
• With its rounded heads it hardly looks like an umbellifer, yet it belongs to the same family as carrot, cow parsley and masterwort.