Sweet cicely - Myrrhis odorata
- The Foraging Course Company
- Feb 14
- 2 min read
Edible plant - novice Season - spring to summer Common names Sweet cicely, anise chervil, anise myrrh, garden myrrh, sweet myrrh, sweet chervil, British myrrh, Spanish chervil
Scientific name meaning: Myrrhis is from the Greek Myrizo, meaning to rub with ointment. Odorata comes from the Latin Odoratus, meaning sweet-smelling
Habitat  Found in parks, gardens, on roadsides, pasture and woodland. Most commonly found in Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland, Scotland and Northern England. Found less often in Wales, The Midlands and Southern England. |
Overall structure  Can reach 70-200cm in height when in flower and around 1m in width. Despite having sparse leaves, it is very bushy at its base. |
Leaves  The compound leaves are 2-3 times pinnate with an overall triangular shape. They are dark green, hairy and often have white/grey patches that resemble splodges of paint. The leaf stems (petioles) are hollow and circular, and sheath the main plant stem. They smell strongly of aniseed when crushed. |
Stem  The stem is hollow and has a circular cross section. It is covered in downy hairs and smells strongly of aniseed when crushed. |
Flowers  The white compound umbels of five-petalled flowers appear from April to August. They have a sweet mild-aniseed fragrance that strengthens dramatically when crushed. |
Seeds  The elongated seeds pods - resembling long, thin grains of rice - are bright green as they begin to form. They ripen to almost black and become very hard. The external female reproductive parts remain on the seed. |
Possible lookalikes  Sweet cicely is one of the Apiaceae (Umbellifer or Carrot) family and could be confused with poisonous members like hemlock (Conium maculatum), pictured. However, the poisonous members of this family lack the strong aniseed smell that sweet cicely has. in addition, hemlock is hairless while sweet cicely is hairy.
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Use as a food The leaves and young seeds can be used raw in salads. They are considered too strong as a cooked side but, along with the seeds, can be used to flavour vegetables, as a general flavouring or as part of a spice mix. The leaves and seeds can add sweetness to tart fruit in puddings, be made into syrups or used to infuse milk, creams, alcohol, soft-drinks.
Leaves have a stronger flavour before the plant has flowered.
The young root can also be used raw or cooked, as per leaves and seeds Use in herbal medicine and medicine Sweet cicely has been used to treat stomach complaints, flatulence, wounds, coughs, and snake and dog bites. It is believed to be an antiseptic
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner.
Hazards None known
Other uses Has been used as a wood polish and to create a yellow dye Importance to other species As an early-flowering plant, sweet cicely is an important food source for pollinators
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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