Myrrhis odorata, or Sweet Cicely is a hardy, tall, herbaceous perennial with feathery, fern-like mid green foliage that exudes a strong aniseed fragrance when brush past or crushed.
It produces umbels of white flowers 2-4mm across in early summer which mature to slender, dark brown fruits around 20mm long.
This is one of the early flowering plants and provides useful nutrition for the pollinators.
This is an early plant that will spring into life while most others are still feeling too chilly to get growing.
They go well in cottage gardens, in herb beds or mixed borders.
Traditionally planted by the back door of country cottages to provide brush-past fragrance and to be readily available to pick leaves to drop into a wide range of dishes, providing a strong and distinctive flavour.
Sweetening tart fruits was one of the most well known uses.