Western Sweet-Cicely, Western sweetroot
Osmorhiza occidentalis
Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae
What it is like
Osmorhiza occidentalis is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Shady or partly shady areas, often on slopes and in valleys.
Western N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
The root has a sweet liquorice or anise flavour and can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a flavouring for biscuits etc. The taste is probably too strong for the whole root to be used as a vegetable. The dried seeds are used as a flavouring. The unripe seed, when still fleshy, can be nibbled raw.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Medicine
Rating: 2
Western sweet-cicely was widely employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it particularly to treat digestive disorders and as an antiseptic wash for a range of problems. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. An infusion of the plant is used in the treatment of coughs and colds. The roots are antiseptic, carminative, febrifuge, oxytocic, pectoral and stomachic. An infusion has been used to induce labour in a pregnant woman and to treat fevers, indigestion, flatulence, stomach aches etc. An infusion of the roots has been applied externally as a treatment for swollen breasts, sores, sore eyes etc. A decoction of the root has been used as a wash on venereal sores and skin rashes. A poultice of the pulped roots has been used in the treatment of cuts, sores, swellings and bruises. The root has been applied to teeth to relive the pain of toothache. A hot decoction of the root has been used to kill head lice.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Deodorant: Masks smells. Is this medicinal?
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.
Oxytoxic: Hastens parturition and stimulates uterine contractions. See also birthing aids.
Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Other
Rating:
The roots have been used by women as a feminine deodorant. They have also been placed in the clothes cupboard to impart a nice smell to clothes and have been used to rinse babies nappies. A decoction of the root has been used as a dip to kill lice in chickens.
Deodorant: A pleasant smelling plant that is used on the body to mask the human smell.
Incense: Aromatic plants that can be burnt to impart a pleasant smell, repel insects and disinfect closed areas.
Insecticide: Kills insects.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Succeeds in any deep moisture-retentive soil in sun or dappled shade. Plants are hardy to about -20°c. Well suited to naturalistic plantings in a woodland or wild garden. A sweetly aromatic plant.
Propagating it: 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist