A favourite with garden designers, every year Angelica archangelica is one of the most admired and coveted plants at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in May.  This is the perfect time to sow Angelica archangelica seeds; don’t miss out on this opportunity to introduce this glamorous and statuesque plant to your garden or allotment!

There’s no need to mess around with pots or compost, as Angelica archangelica become rather resentful if their roots are disturbed; therefore, sowing seeds directly where you want your plants to grow is both the easiest and most successful option.  Use new, fresh seeds, as Angelica seed loses its viability rapidly and old seeds won’t grow.  Angelica archangelica seeds won’t keep, so why not share a seed packet with your neighbours?  These seeds need light to germinate, so don’t make the mistake of covering Angelica archangelica seed with compost – just scatter the seeds over the soil.

Angelica archangelica is an easy-going and rather charming plant that flourishes on sandy, silty soils, chalk, loam, and clay and is happy in alkaline, acid, or neutral soils.  I find Angelica archangelica’s height varies considerably depending on the plant’s growing conditions; plants can range from 1.5 – 2.5m (5 – 8.2ft) tall and spread 1.2m (4ft) wide.  I have grown Angelica archangelica in almost all aspects, from bright, sunny areas on allotments to dappled shade; wherever it has grown Angelica archangelica has been an absolute delight!

I adore Angelica archangelica’s glorious enlivening green flowers which last for an absolute age and attract a vast array of pollinating insects.  Plants flower from May to July but the seed heads add extra interest in the months that follow.

In the garden, Angelica archangelica stand gracefully alone but they can be teamed up to compliment any colour scheme.  The stems vary, they can be pink or deep purple, reddish, or green.  Angelica archangelica’s green flowers bring a welcome freshness and zing to the garden.  My favourite combination is Angelica archangelica and Digitalis purpurea.

Angelica archangelica is worth growing for its beauty and value to pollinators, but Angelica archangelica’s young leaves enhance salads and sweeten rhubarb.  The stems can be made into jams, sorbets, or used to decorate cakes, and Angelica archangelica roots are used to flavour gin.  Every part of this plant, including Angelica archangelica’s roots, stems, leaves, and seeds are edible.  However, there are poisonous plants, including Poison Hemlock (Conium) and other plants from the Apiaceae family that closely resemble Angelica archangelica in their appearance.  If you are intending to eat Angelica archangelica, sow seeds away from other similar looking plants and add labels in the areas where you sow your seeds.  Please only consume plants you’re certain are safe to eat; abstain from eating any plant you’re unsure of.

For more gardening advice for September, please click here.

To see my plant pages and find advice on how to grow hundreds of different plants from houseplants, herbs, vegetables, trees, shrubs, roses, orchids, and more, please click here.

To see my calendar of specialist plant fairs, plant and seed swaps and local plant sales, please click here.