Garden Angelica

Angelica archangelica is native to northern Europe, particularly Scandinavia, Iceland, and Russia.

• Grows wild in the mountains and coastal areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and northern Russia
• Has been used since the Viking Age — Norse peoples valued it as both food and medicine
• In Scandinavian folklore, angelica was associated with protection against evil spirits and plague
• Cultivated in monastery gardens across northern Europe since the Middle Ages
• The Laplanders (Sámi people) traditionally chewed the raw stems and used them as a vegetable
• Introduced to southern Europe as a medicinal plant, where it thrived in cooler mountainous areas
• The genus Angelica contains approximately 60 species, distributed across the Northern Hemisphere
• Angelica is the flavoring ingredient in many traditional liqueurs including Bénédictine, Chartreuse, and gin

Angelica archangelica is a robust, aromatic biennial herb.

First year:
• Forms a large basal rosette of compound leaves
• Builds a substantial root system

Second year:
• Produces a tall, erect flowering stem 1 to 2.5 meters tall
• Stem: thick, hollow, smooth, purplish-green, 3 to 5 cm in diameter at the base
• After flowering and seed production, the entire plant dies

Leaves:
• Large, bi- to tripinnate, 30 to 90 cm long
• Bright green, with serrated leaflets 3 to 8 cm long
• Dilated (inflated) petiole bases — distinctive characteristic of the genus
• Strong, sweet, aromatic scent

Flowers:
• Large compound umbels, 10 to 20 cm across
• Numerous tiny greenish-white to pale yellow flowers
• Blooms June to August of the second year

Roots:
• Thick, fleshy, branched taproot
• Aromatic — the primary source of angelica essential oil
• Brown exterior, white interior

Seeds:
• Small, flattened, pale yellow, with prominent wings
• Aromatic, used as a spice

Angelica contains several beneficial compounds.

• Good source of vitamin C — historically important in northern climates where citrus was unavailable
• Contains angelicin, archangelicin, and other coumarin compounds
• Rich in volatile oils including phellandrene, pinene, and limonene
• Contains bitter principles that stimulate digestion
• Provides dietary fiber from the stems
• The candied stems are high in sugar but the raw plant is low in calories
• Contains antioxidants including flavonoids

Angelica prefers cool, moist conditions — it thrives in northern climates.

Planting:
• Sow fresh seeds in autumn — seeds lose viability quickly and do not store well
• Germination requires cold stratification
• Plant in moist, rich, humus-rich soil
• Prefers partial shade — natural habitat is stream banks and damp meadows

Care:
• Keep soil consistently moist — angelica wilts quickly in dry conditions
• Mulch heavily to retain moisture
• Protect from hot afternoon sun in warmer climates
• Grows best in cool climates — struggles in hot, humid conditions

Harvest:
• Stems: harvest in the second year before flowering, when stems are still tender and green
• Leaves: pick young leaves from first-year rosettes
• Roots: dig in autumn of the first year (before the plant flowers and dies)
• Seeds: collect when they begin to turn brown

Culinary uses:
• Candied angelica stems — the most famous preparation: bright green stems boiled in sugar syrup, used as cake decoration and confection
• Stems: chopped into jams, marmalades, and fruit preserves for herbal sweetness
• Leaves: used fresh as a flavoring for salads, soups, and fish dishes
• Stems: cooked as a vegetable, similar to celery but sweeter
• Roots: candied, or used fresh in soups and stews
• Seeds: used as a spice in baked goods, liqueurs, and herbal teas
• Essential oil: flavoring for liqueurs (Chartreuse, Bénédictine, Vermouth, gin) and confectionery
• Young shoots and leaf stalks: blanched and eaten as a vegetable in Scandinavia
• In Icelandic cuisine: angelica was the only green vegetable available for much of the year