Growing Guide
 
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Angelica

Herbaceous Perennial or Biennial Flower, Herb

Also known as Garden Angelica
Angelica archangelica
Umbelliferae Family

A large, rank, upright biennial used as an accent plant for the rear of shady borders. Large showy and attractive greenish-white flowers appear above the foliage in the second year. The leaves, flower stems and seeds are of culinary use and the roots are used in the formulation of liquors with minor medicinal uses.

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Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • part shade
  • full shade
Plants do best in the shadiest and coolest part of garden especially during a hot summers.

Soil conditions:

  • requires well-drained soil
  • tolerates damp soil
  • requires high fertility
Prefers moist but well-drained and slightly acidic soil.

Hardiness zones:

  • 4 to 9
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: biennial, perennial

Plants are usually biennial, but may last a third or fourth year, especially if you remove flowers. Some sources list as a short-lived perennial.

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 3 to 6 feet

Spread: 2 to 4 feet

Bloom time:

  • early summer
  • mid-summer

Blooms usually start in June and last through July.

Flower color:

  • green
  • white

Greenish-white to greenish-yellow.

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: coarse

Leaves form a basal rosette the first year and then fine textured flower stems rise above the foliage the second year.

Shape: upright

Shape in flower: same as above

Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • deer resistant
  • non-aggressive - Seed will self-sow sparingly.
  • non-invasive
  • not native to North America - Northern Europe and Asia
Attracts:
  • beneficial insects - Bees
Special uses:
  • edible landscaping
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by seed, division or separation - Sow seeds every year to ensure flowering plants each year as plants flower only in the second year.

The plant can be propagated by offshoots of second year plants or division of second year roots.

Seed will self-sow sparingly.

Days to emergence: 14 to 28

Maintenance and care:
Seedlings should be transplanted when they reach four to six inches as they form a long tap root.

To maintain as a perennial foliage plant for up to 4 years without replanting, but back the flower stems after flowering. Any bloom in the fourth year will not be significant. The best strategy is perhaps to treat plants as a biennial, and encourage reseeding each year.

More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Pests:
Red spider mite will attack during dry spells. To control, spray water on the underside of the leaves .

Leaf miner on foliage.

Aphids on ripening fruit.

Diseases:
Leaf spot.

Viral and fungal diseases may attack leaves in late summer.