ASK GRANNY EARTH – Angelica
I’m making my list of herb seeds to order for my garden this spring. I want to start them in-doors next month and am looking for something that’s easy to grow, large and exotic while also being good for medicinal purposes. Do you have any suggestions?
Yes, I have just the herb for you- it’s Angelica (Angelica archangelica). This herb has a long, successful medicinal history and in ancient times it was considered to have ‘angelic’ healing powers as well; hence its name. While Angelica is native to all of Europe, its use for commerce is obtained from the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Belgium and Italy .
In Germany, Angelica root is official in the German Pharmacopeia and is approved in the Commission E Monographs. It is mainly used clinically as an aromatic and bitter tonic for the digestive system to stimulate the appetite and to treat dyspepsia. It is also a popular flavoring component in bitters and liqueurs such as Benedictine and Chartreuse.
Two years ago I made a decision to help my daughter start her herb greenhouse. It was around this time of year that I got on-line and placed my seed orders. I ended up with about 35 different herb specie seeds and Angelica was one of them. I set about planting them in the house in flats.
First, I took saw horses, put an old piece of plywood on top, hung florescent lights on chains from the ceiling, filled flats with potting soil and planted! What fun I had! I carefully marked each flat and made a sprinkling can out of an old plastic milk jug. In a few weeks I had a maize of seedlings. Angelica did especially well for me. Long about May, I transplanted them outside. I had never grown Angelica before- I thought it was an exotic herb, too hard to grow. How wrong I was! It was easy to grow, hardy too.
Angelica is a biannual plant, meaning that it grows the first year, but doesn’t bloom until the second year, after which it dies off. I was very surprised that first year when it grew to about 2 feet tall. Since I needed the leaves for a tincture experiment, I harvested one plant, cutting back all the leaves and stems. It gave me two gallon jars full of the dried herb. The next year they all came back up again and this time they flowered;. a beautiful whitish/green cluster of tiny little petals. You’ll want to harvest the leaves before the plant flowers. With this harvest treatment it should come up again the next year and for several more years to come, perhaps as many as 5 or 6. If you don’t pick the leaves prior to the flowers appearing (in the second year), and you let it flower, that will be the end of the plant. It seems like it will keep growing year after year until it finally gets a chance to bloom. If left alone, it will most likely self-seed. Angelica thrives best in rich, well-drained loamy soils, with a sprinkling of shade.
Proven to be anti-microbial, a muscle relaxant, anti-inflammatory, a treatment for gastrointestinal disturbances, anorexia nervosa and flatulent dyspepsia, Angelica’s historical uses include: carminative, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. It has been used as a remedy for nervous headaches, fever, skin rashes, wounds, rheumatism, bronchial illnesses, colds and coughs, as a digestive aid for stomach disorders and for toothaches.
Here’s an old remedy for flatulence (gas); chew slowly on the stalk of Angelica until the condition is relieved. This will work because Angelica contains pectin, an enzyme which acts on the entire digestive system. Roots or leaves and stems can be used as an expectorant for coughs, bronchitis and pleurisy, especially when they are accompanied by fevers, colds and the flu. The leaves can also be used as a poultice in cases of all inflammations and chest complaints. Angelica also has strong antibiotic properties which aid in such conditions as rheumatic inflammation and cystitis.
The young leaves and stems of Angelica are naturally sweet and can be an interesting addition to stewed fruits, or you might want to make ‘Candied Angelica’:
As early as April or May, pick some stalks and stems of the young plant. Scrape away tough skin and fiber threads with a potato peeler. Trim shoots into 3” lengths and put them into a glass/enamel pan. Cover with fresh boiling water. Simmer until Angelica looks ‘clear’. Drain and roll the shoots on brown paper that has been thickly sprinkled with sugar. Let the shoots take up as much sugar as will stick to them. Dry shoots in oven on lowest temperature for about 3 hours. Wrap and store, after cooling completely.
Packed into little boxes, Candied Angelica makes a great gift. Not only is it tasty, but good for you as well.
