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Angelica - The Healing power of herbs – Ceres Esplan

Angelica (Angelica archangelica), Garden angelica, The Angel’s Herb.  This tall fragrant herb grows wild throughout most of Europe and at higher elevations in the western and central United States.  In Britain it is merely naturalised and can occasionally be found along riverbanks and canals.  It is easy to grow in gardens, but needs plenty of space.  Once sown it usually goes on sowing itself and seedlings come up all round the parent plant.

Angelica is used by herbalists as a digestive (carminative) herb, ‘for those with wind in the stomach’; also as a tonic and an expectorant and stimulative drink.

It should be used fresh whenever possible.  It must not be taken by diabetics, as it encourages the manufacture of too much sugar in the body.

The young stems of this plant and Sweet Cicely both have synergic properties if cooked with very sour fruit, like gooseberries or rhubarb.  They alleviate the acute sourness by working with the fruit juices to produce a sweeter taste.

Possibly Elderflowers, which were often used by the older country people, always worked this same magic too.