Angelica
Angelica archangelica
Family Apiaceae
Angelica is garden architecture you can drink. In its second year this herb rockets to six or eight chartreuse feet, opening globe umbels that flavor gin, Chartreuse, and Bénédictine through its aromatic seeds and roots — while its candied stems remain one of the oldest tricks in the confectioner's book.
Those huge umbels are a landing pad for bees and the tiny beneficial wasps that police garden pests. A true biennial, it builds a rosette, towers, blooms, and bows out — leave one seedhead and it replaces itself. For the back of a cool, moist border, nothing else has this presence.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Fast growth
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing angelica? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries angelica — Angelica archangelica, print Nº 21, “Angelica.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what angelica actually needs.
Life cycleBiennial, grown as an annualAngelica · Common problems
Common angelica problems
Pests
2 problems on file
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Angelica · Growing & propagation
Growing angelica
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
Cooler = better
- Water
- Moderate-High
Keep it moist
Soil- Rich, moist, humusy · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- Compost
Pruning- Cut spent stalks
A dramatic architectural biennial: a leafy rosette year one, then a towering 6-8 ft flowering stalk year two, after which it dies (let one seed to continue). Give it cool, moist, rich soil. The hollow stems are candied; the seeds and roots flavor famous liqueurs.
Spacing- 2-3 ft
Angelica · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Angelica · Yearly calendar
The angelica year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJune
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Angelica · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Angelica archangelica
Angelica in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer biennial
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What angelica is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenSafe culinarily; can cause skin photosensitivity like its Apiaceae kin — handle in gloves. Do NOT confuse with deadly poison hemlock/water hemlock look-alikes
Use- Candied stems
- Use
- Liqueur flavoring
- Use
- Beneficial insects
- Use
- Architecture
- Edible value
- 3/5
Traditional use rating- 3/5 in herbal tradition
Harvesting & storing angelica
Candied stems (the classic use), aromatic seeds and roots for liqueurs (gin, Chartreuse, Bénédictine).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Angelica · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a angelica variety
Species (A. archangelica); native purple-stem angelica (A. atropurpurea)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Angelica
Angelica archangelica
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Angelica archangelica
- Plant family
- Apiaceae
- Growth habit
- Biennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- ANAR9
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Angelica questions, answered straight.
Is angelica safe for kids and pets?
Angelica is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: Safe culinarily; can cause skin photosensitivity like its Apiaceae kin — handle in gloves. Do NOT confuse with deadly poison hemlock/water hemlock look-alikes. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest angelica?
Candied stems (the classic use), aromatic seeds and roots for liqueurs (gin, Chartreuse, Bénédictine).
Elsewhere
Where angelica sits in the library.
Comfrey
Lavender
Rosemary
Anise Hyssop