Sweet Cicely
Osmorhiza claytonii
Sweet cicely is a woodland member of the carrot family with ferny leaves and airy white flower umbels; its roots and seeds smell and taste of anise. An easy native filler for shade. As with any carrot-family plant, confirm the distinctive anise scent before ever treating a wild specimen as food — the family includes deadly look-alikes.
- Family
- Apiaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 1–3 ft
- Spacing
- 1–1.5 ft apart
- Light
- shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- neutral, acidic
- Bloom
- May, June
- Bloom colors
- white
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- border
- Native states
- AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV