Sweet Cicely

Myrrhis odorata

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Apiales

Family:

Apiaceae (Carrot)

Also in this family:

Alexanders, Burnet-saxifrage, Common Hogweed, Cow Parsley, Edible Carrot, Fool's Watercress, Garden Parsley, Giant Hogweed, Greater Burnet-saxifrage, Ground Elder, Hemlock, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Lesser Marshwort, Lesser Water Parsnip, Parsley Water Dropwort, Pignut, Pink Masterwort, Rock Samphire, Sanicle, Sea Holly, Upright Hedge Parsley, Wild Angelica, Wild Carrot, Wild Fennel, Wild Parsnip

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Maximum Size:

1 metre tall

Habitats:

Farmland, grassland, hedgerows, parkland, riverbanks, riversides, roadsides, woodland.

Flower:

White, 5 petals

White umbels reaching 6cm wide and no bracts. Individual flowers have 5 petals. Pollinated by insects.

Fruit:

Long, green, shiny, cylindrical and ribbed. The fruits are erect and about 2cm long.

Leaves:

Similar looking to Cow Parsley but are softer to the touch. They are 2-4 pinnate with small flecks on close inspection.

Aroma:

Smells strongly of aniseed when crushed.

Other Names:

Anise Chervil, Anise Cicely, Anise Fern, British Myrrh, Cow Chervil, Fern-leaved Chervil, Garden Myrrh, Roman Plant, Shepherd's Needle, Smooth Cicely, Spanish Chervil, Sweet Bracken, Sweet Chervil, Sweet Myrrh, Sweets, Sweet-scented Myrrh.

Frequency (UK):

Common

Similar Species:

Cow Parsley

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map