Practical
Plants

Osmorhiza claytonii

Woolly Sweet-Cicely

a perennial member of the Osmorhiza genus in the family Umbelliferae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[10][1][3]. Used for putting on weight[11][2]. Leaf stalks - cooked and used as a vegetable[3]. The aromatic roots and unripe seeds are used as anise-like flavourings[3]. Pleasant to chew[5].

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The root has been chewed or gargled as a treatment for sore throats[6][8]. A poultice of the moistened pulverized roots has been applied to boils, cuts, sores etc whilst a tea made from the roots has been used to bathe sore eyes[6][8].

Product or use
Ophthalmic
Product or use
Poultice

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to South Dakota, North Carolina, Illinois, Nebraska and Kansas.
Habitat
Woods and wooded slopes[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible, otherwise sow it in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any deep moisture-retentive soil in sun or dappled shade[4]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[4]. Well suited to naturalistic plantings in a woodland or wild garden[4]. A sweetly aromatic plant[4].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩

  6. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

  7. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

  8. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  9. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  10. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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