Medicinal Herb – Angelica

Angelica

Medicinal Herb Post #25 written July 3, 2018

Angelica – Angelica archangelica

This biennial, also known as wild celery was an essential food source for centuries in places like Greenland, Finland, Sweden and Norway. It is simple to grow and loves moist soil with afternoon shade. It’s happiest east facing. It produces big leaves the first year and an umbrella flower stalk that goes to seed the second year (as pictured). It can grow up to 6 feet tall. It is part of the carrot family, a group with many species both medicinal and extremely poisonous. It’s absolutely important you identify this family accurately. The whole plant is medicinal.

European legend says that revelation about this plant was given by an angel to help heal the plague in the 17th and 18th centuries, hence the archangel name.  When harvesting both angelica root, lomatium root and the almost endangered osha root (all cousins) you will notice they smell very much the same and have very strong antiviral properties.  The root needs to be dried before use as it has been known to be toxic when used fresh. It is an emmenogogue, an old word used to describe stimulation of the uterus. Therefore it shouldn’t be used during pregnancy.  The root is an excellent herb to help expel any retained placenta after a woman gives birth.  The dried root and seed are good for asthma and bronchitis. The seeds are used in tincture form for serious dysentery and cholera, making it a great tincture to have in the first aid kit. Angelica can be used for digestive problems from colic to stimulating an appetite. Interestingly, it has a bactericidal effect on the stomach, increasing acid and combating harmful bacteria like H.pylori. Angelica and calendula is a great combination for stomach bacteria issues. The GCE, the German equivalent to the FDA considers and approves the use of Angelica for high fevers, common cold symptoms, UTI infections and dyspepsia.

This is a wonderful herb to grow in your own backyard.  It easily reseeds so it’s simple to grow and harvest.

Emily Saddler

Emily is married to her best friend Ryan, homeschool mom of 7 awesome kids, Holistic Health Practitioner in the state of Utah and Traditional Naturopath outside of the state of Utah, master gardener, yoga/pilates instructor, certified clinical and master herbalist, licensed massage therapist, and doula. She is a very passionate advocate of all things Mother Nature! Emily maintains a blog called “Sage and Sourdough Wellness and Herbs” where she shares gardening advice, delicious recipes made with fresh, organic ingredients, herbal and natural home care product recipes and loves teaching classes on gardening, plant identification and herbal remedy workshops. Check out the events and classes page for more info.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *