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Myrrhis odorata - (L.)Scop.

Sweet Cicely

Author	(L.)Scop.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Umbelliferae	Genus	Myrrhis
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Mountainous regions of Europe, including Britain.
Habitat	Grassy places, hedges and woods in hilly regions, often near human habitations[4, 9, 17].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	3 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m by 1m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Hedgerow;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves; Root; Seed.

Edible Uses: Tea.

Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 5, 37, 52]. Excellent raw, the leaves have a delicious sweet aniseed flavour[9] and are liked by the majority of people who try them[K]. They are also used as a flavouring for vegetables[183], and are an important ingredient of the herb mix 'bouquet garni'[244]. They can be cooked with tart fruits in order to reduce their acidity[14. 183]. The plant produces fresh leaves from late winter to early the following winter[200]. The leaves can also be dried for later use[21]. It is best to prevent the plant from flowering if the leaves are required for culinary use, because they lose their flavour when the plant is in flower[244]. Root - raw or cooked[1, 2, 5, 14, 37]. A similar flavour to the leaves[K]. So long as it is not too old, the root can be boiled and mixed with other vegetables or added to salads[9]. Seed - raw or cooked[1, 2, 183]. An aniseed flavour, it is usually used as a flavouring[14, 115] but can also be eaten raw whilst it is still green and before the fibrous coat has formed[1, 9]. It makes an excellent mouth freshener[K]. A tea is made from the leaves[183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antiseptic; Aromatic; Carminative; Expectorant; Stomachic.

The whole plant, including the seed, is aromatic, carminative, expectorant and stomachic[4]. It is useful in the treatment of coughs and flatulence, and also as a gentle stimulant for the stomach[4, 238]. The root is antiseptic and a decoction has been used to treat snake and dog bites[4, 244]. An ointment made from the roots has been used to ease gout and soothe wounds[244].

Other Uses

Polish.

The leaves and the seed make good polishes for wood[4, 6, 115]. You just rub them over the wood and then rub the wood with a clean cloth to remove any greenness. It is particularly good on oak panels[5], giving a lovely glossy finish and an aromatic smell[244].

Cultivation details

Prefers a moist rich soil in a shady position[14, 52, 200]. Thrives in all soils[1] in sun or shade[111, 200]. This species is hardy to about -15°c according to one report[200] whilst another says that it is hardy to at least -20°c[187]. Plants often self-sow freely[200]. Sweet cicely used to be quite widely cultivated as a food plant but is now only occasionally grown in the herb garden. This is a shame since it is an extremely useful and tasty plant to grow and can provide food all year round[K]. A good bee plant[4].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe since stored seed is difficult to germinate[1]. The seed can be sown in an outdoor seedbed or, if supplies are limited, it can be sown in pots in a cold frame. Thin the seedlings in the outdoor bed as necessary (eat the thinnings) and transplant the young plants into their final positions in the following spring. Prick out the pot-grown seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in spring. Division in spring or autumn. Remove the tapering tap root and cut the remaining root into sections with at least one eye per section and replant in their permanent position.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Why Perennials, Winter Salads, Woodland Garden Plants, Alternative Edible Leaves, The Woodland Edge Garden.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.

[6] Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979 ISBN 0-00-635555-2
Details on some of the useful wild plants of Britain. Poor on pictures but otherwise very good.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.

[52] Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980
A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 0
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Myrrhis odorata

Diane Harcourt Wed Feb 15 2006

I would like to try growing this - where can I get seeds? Very interesting entry. Diane Harcourt

Myrrhis odorata

Richard Torrens Sun May 4 2008

FFF - Food For Free Descriptions and photos of various wild food plants

Myrrhis odorata

Linacre Griffiths Sat Aug 15 2009

Thank you for the info about Myrrhis odoratus, BUT I live in Zone 3 (Wetaskiwin, Central Alberta) and have had Sweet Cecily growing in my garden for several years. It is thriving and starting to spread. I am not in a unique microclimate, few zone 5 plants survive here. The only challenge was to find a plant. I've given people fresh seeds and they have survived in this area fromm seed so I would encourage you to revise your hadines info for this plant. Thanks, Linacre

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