Sweet Cicely

Sweet Cicely is a clumping plant with delicate branching leaves. It grows to about 40cm wide and 80cm tall, dying back in the winter. It has deep roots which bring up minerals from deep in the soil which improves the nutrition of other plants around it. Sweet cicely prefers light to moderate shade, making it useful in the food forest.

The roots are reported to be delicious eaten either raw or cooked (like a carrot or parsnip). Its leaves have a mild, slightly aniseed flavour and can be used to bulk out salads. I also add leaves to rhubarb while cooking it, as a natural sweetener, reducing the need for sugar. After flowering, it produces long thin seeds pods. If you pick and eat these while they are green, they taste like liquorice and make a tasty snack.