Wild Angelica

Wild angelica is blooming here at Oceanside Wild and on the hillsides around us. All manner of bees and other pollinating insects are drawn to the flowers which are known as plentiful pollen providers. The plants grow a couple of metres tall and branch out robustly. The bottom picture shows how deeply they root. The stems of seacoast angelica (angelica lucida) are eaten as wild celery. Wild angelica (angelica sylvestris) is seen as having been brought to Cape Breton by the French and is commonly viewed as an invasive species, having proliferated. However, angelicas are native to temperate and sub-Arctic regions of the northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The roots and seeds are sometimes used to flavour gin. Its presence accounts for the distinct flavour of many liqueurs, such as Chartreuse. Angelica sylvestris roots have been used in the traditional Austrian medicine internally as tea or tincture for treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, nervous system, and also against fever, infections, and flu.