Sweet Cicely
Myrrhis odorata
Family Apiaceae
Sweet cicely performs quiet kitchen alchemy: cook its anise-scented ferny leaves with rhubarb or other tart fruit and you can cut the sugar by a third. The green seeds are a sweet, licorice-y nibble straight off the plant — a treat gardeners keep for themselves.
A graceful cottage plant for cool, shaded corners, its lacy spring flowers feed early pollinators and its ferny mound stays handsome all season. Like all carrot-family herbs it deserves confident identification — grow your own from a known source and there's no doubt. Give the shady bed something sweet.
Part Shade to Shade
Moderate water
Moderate growth
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing sweet cicely? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries sweet cicely — Myrrhis odorata, print Nº 461, “Sweet Cicely.”
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 sweet cicely actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-7Sweet Cicely · Common problems
Common sweet cicely problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Sweet Cicely · Growing & propagation
Growing sweet cicely
- Light
- Part Shade to Shade
- Water
- Moderate — cool, moist
Soil- Rich, moist, humusy · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- Leaf mold
Pruning- Cut back after seeding if desired
A lovely, shade-loving perennial herb with soft ferny foliage tasting of sweet anise — cook the leaves with tart rhubarb or gooseberries and you can use a third less sugar. The green unripe seeds are a sweet nibble, the early flowers feed pollinators, and the whole plant is elegant in a woodland or cottage garden. Prefers cool climates; self-sows. Deer-resistant.
Spacing- 18-24 in
How to plant & propagate sweet cicely
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Sweet Cicely · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Sweet Cicely · Yearly calendar
The sweet cicely year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomMay
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.
Sweet Cicely · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Myrrhis odorata
Sweet Cicely in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
Habitat- Woodland
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What sweet cicely is grown for
✓ Commonly eatena traditional sweet herb) — but be certain of ID; know its deadly Apiaceae relatives (poison/water hemlock
Use- Natural sweetener
- Use
- Shade herb
- Use
- Cottage garden
- Use
- Pollinators
- Edible value
- 3/5
Harvesting & storing sweet cicely
Ferny anise-sweet leaves, green seeds, and roots — a natural sweetener that cuts the sugar needed for tart fruit like rhubarb.
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.
Sweet Cicely · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a sweet cicely variety
Species
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Sweet Cicely
Myrrhis odorata
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Myrrhis odorata
- Plant family
- Apiaceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- MYOD
- 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.
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
Questions
Sweet Cicely questions, answered straight.
Is sweet cicely safe for kids and pets?
Sweet Cicely 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: a traditional sweet herb) — but be certain of ID; know its deadly Apiaceae relatives (poison/water hemlock. 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 sweet cicely?
Ferny anise-sweet leaves, green seeds, and roots — a natural sweetener that cuts the sugar needed for tart fruit like rhubarb.
How do you propagate sweet cicely?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where sweet cicely sits in the library.
Comfrey
Lavender
Rosemary
Anise Hyssop