Sweet cicely

Taxonomic information

Common Name: Sweet Cicely

Latin Name: Myrrhis odorata

Family: Apiaceae

Description

Sweet cicely, otherwise known as garden myrrh, is often a garden escapee and was formerly a widely cultivated culinary herb. It is said to have been strewn on the floors of churches in medieval Britain, presumably for its scent. It is therefore considered to be an introduced species rather than a native one. The plant is renowned for its aniseed taste and fragrance and there are many recipes which use different parts of the plant: the roots can be boiled; leaves added to salads; seeds added for flavouring. The plant has also been used as a wood polish creating a deep lustre on wooden surfaces.

This early flowering perennial plant is often a striking component of roadside verges in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in May and June. The plant can also be found in meadows and alongside watercourses. Sweet cicely is often confused with its relative cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris). However, sweet cicely has a bushy, more ‘feathery’ appearance than cow parsley and the crushed foliage has a very strong aniseed scent. The large seeds ripen in late summer but frequently stay on the stems until winter.