As a lovely plant of hedgerows and woodland edge, Sweet cicely has sweetly aniseed scented ferny foliage and frothy white flowers. Interestingly it belongs to the celery family! It is perfect in the shady border, or in a woodland setting where it does well in part shade. It will also grow in a sunny spot so is nice and versatile and relatively easy to grow. Divide in the Spring and Autumn, or let it self seed
Wildlife attracted:
One of the early herbs to emerge after winter, Sweet cicely is a great nectar plant for bees and the beekeeper.
Other features:
Sweet cicely has a strong taste of aniseed and is often used as a medicinal herb. Use the leaves either raw or cooked. The roots and seeds can also be used. It is not a true native, but was introduced in the 18th century and has since naturalised.
