Sweet cicely

Sweet cicely: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Perennial with a thick taproot, forming a bushy clump about 1 m high and 50–60 cm wide.

Leaves

Large, two to three times pinnate, softly hairy and light green, sometimes with white flecks; smells of aniseed when crushed.

Flowers

Small white flowers in compound umbels, from May to June.

Fruit

Long, narrow, ridged seeds about 2 cm long: green at first, glossy dark brown when ripe.

Roots

A thick, deep taproot: an old plant is hard to move.

Flowering: May–June · Harvest and fruit: March–July · Sowing: September–November · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: June–July

Why grow it?

• Grows well in part shade, where many other herbs struggle.
• The foliage appears early in spring and has a mild aniseed flavour.
• A natural sweetener for tart fruit such as rhubarb and gooseberries, so you need less sugar.
• The white umbels attract bees and hoverflies.
• A perennial: plant once, harvest for years, and it self-seeds.

Sweet cicely: where does it grow best?

• Part shade to shade; in full sun it dries out and the leaves turn yellow.
• Ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky, preferably rich in humus and not too dry.
• Give it a permanent spot, because you do not want to disturb the taproot.
• Allow 50–60 cm per plant; the clump gets large.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

1 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Hosta: The same part shade; large smooth leaves beside fine, feathery foliage.
• Ferns: Fresh green underplanting with a similar structure.
• Lady’s mantle: Soft yellow flowers and rounded leaves at the front of the border.
• Rhubarb: A good pair in the kitchen: the sweet leaves take the edge off the acidity.

Sweet cicely: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole as deep as the pot and twice as wide, and mix in a little compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot, 50–60 cm from its neighbours, and firm the soil.
4. Water in well straight away and keep the soil moist during the first year.
5. Spread a layer of leaf mould around the base to keep the soil cool and moist.

Care

Water

Keep the soil slightly moist. In long dry spells water, or the leaves turn yellow and flop.

Feeding

A spadeful of compost in spring is enough; too much feed gives floppy foliage.

Harvesting

Pick young leaves from April to autumn and use them fresh: drying loses much of the aroma. Chop them into fruit salad, rhubarb compote, yoghurt or dressing. The green seeds are edible too.

Spent flowers

Cut the umbels off before the seed ripens if you do not want self-sown seedlings; leave a few to collect seed.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould in spring keeps the soil cool and moist.

Tip: Cut off the umbels after flowering and cut the clump back to 10–15 cm: you get fresh, soft leaves for the kitchen and no seedlings everywhere.

Sweet cicely: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June–July.

When: Straight after flowering, in June or July, before the seed ripens and the foliage tires.

How:

• Cut off the faded flower stems just above the foliage.
• For fresh leaves, cut the whole clump back to 10–15 cm; it regrows quickly.
• In late winter, clear away dead leaf debris.

Caution: If you leave the umbels, the plant self-seeds freely and you will find seedlings everywhere.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow fresh seed from September to November in place or in a pot outdoors. The seed needs a cold spell and comes up in spring; seed sown only in spring germinates slowly and unevenly.

Division

In autumn or early spring, divide a young clump with a sharp spade. Dig deep, because the taproot is thick.

Moving seedlings

Move young seedlings in spring while the taproot is still small.

Sweet cicely: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, down to about −30 °C: no protection is needed.
• In cold winters the foliage largely dies back; the plant simply regrows in spring.
• A thin layer of compost or leaves around the base is welcome but not necessary.

Diseases and pests

• Confusion with hemlock: Umbellifers such as hemlock look similar and are poisonous. Sweet cicely smells strongly of aniseed and has softly hairy, light green leaves; hemlock has hairless stems blotched with purple. Never pick anything you are not sure about.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves, mostly in dry summers. Water, leave space and cut off affected foliage; the plant regrows.
• Slugs: Young plants and seedlings are nibbled in spring. Search for them in the evening and remove them by hand.
• Seedlings everywhere: If you leave the umbels, you will find young plants all over the border next year. Cut off the umbels or weed out the seedlings.

Through the year

• February: Clear away dead leaf debris.
• March: Plant or move. Apply compost.
• April: Plant. Pick the first leaves.
• May: Flowering starts. Pick leaves for the kitchen.
• June: Flowering. Cut back after flowering. Pick green seeds.
• July: Cut back again if you want fresh leaves. Water in dry spells.
• August: Seed ripens: collect it or cut off the umbels.
• September: Sow fresh seed. Plant.
• October: Sow and plant. Divide old clumps.
• November: Sow. Clear away dead foliage.

Edible and useful

Leaves (March–June)

Pick the soft, fern-like leaves from March to June; they appear early in spring. They taste sweetly of aniseed and are a natural sweetener: cook a handful with rhubarb, gooseberries or other sour fruit and you will need less sugar. Also chopped into salads, omelettes and cream.

Seeds (June–July)

The long green seeds in June and July are crunchy and sweet like aniseed sweets: eat them fresh, in a fruit salad or with ice cream. Ripe brown seeds are too hard and fibrous.

Storing

The leaves are best fresh; dried they lose much of their aroma. They can be chopped and frozen. The green seeds keep for a few days in the fridge, or you can preserve them in sugar syrup or vodka.

Caution: Sweet cicely belongs to the carrot family: do not confuse it with the very poisonous hemlock or fool’s parsley. Sweet cicely smells clearly of aniseed when you crush a leaf, has soft, slightly hairy leaves with white flecks and grows in partial shade. Only harvest from a plant you planted yourself or recognise with certainty.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Rhubarb compote with sweet cicely (Compote · ± 4 portions · 25 min)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The leaves are naturally sweet and taste of aniseed. With rhubarb or gooseberries you need less sugar as a result.
• The name Myrrhis refers to the scent: the Greek word is related to myrrh, an aromatic resin.
• In the wild it grows in cool, shady mountain meadows and woodland edges in southern Europe.