Common Name: Purplestem Angelica

General Information

Angelica atropurpurea is a herbaceous, perennial plant with a stem hat can be 100 - 300cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Known Hazards

All members of this genus contain furocoumarins, which increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and may cause dermatitis[].
Cases of toxicity have been reported when large amounts of the plant have been taken to try to induce an abortion[].
Studies have shown that various compounds contained in the volatile oil are acutely toxic and mutagenic[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Ontario and Minnesota, south to Delaware, Illinois and Iowa.

Habitat

Rich thickets, bottomlands and swamps[]. Common in sedge meadows and calcareous fens, particularly if supported by groundwater springs and seepages. It also may be present in forested wetlands, and along streambanks and shores[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.80 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the temperate zone, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 10 - 18°c, but can tolerate 6 - 26°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -30°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,300mm, but tolerates 500 - 1,500mm[].
Grows best in a deep moist fertile soil in dappled shade or full sun[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7.5, tolerating 4.5 - 8[].
Plants can self-seed in optimum growing conditions if the spent flower umbels are not removed[].
Plants are reliably perennial if they are prevented from setting seed[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots and leaf stalks - raw or cooked[, , ]. When boiled in two lots of water they form a vegetable that strongly resembles celery. They can be peeled and eaten in salads or blanched and cooked like asparagus[]. The stems can also be candied and used as a sweetmeat[].

Root, leafstalks and stems - candied[, ].

Medicinal

The plant is carminative, counter-irritant, diaphoretic, diuretic and stomachic[, ]. It has similar properties to angelica (Angelica archangelica), though it is inferior since it is less aromatic[].

A tea made from the leaves is used to improve the digestion[]. It is also used in the treatment of colds, rheumatism etc[]. The seed and roots can also be used and have a stronger effect[].

The root is carminative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, sedative, stomachic and tonic[]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of fevers, colds, flatulent colic and other stomach disorders, obstructed menses and as a general tonic for women[].
Applied externally, the root has been used as a gargle for sore throats and mouths and as a poultice for broken bones, swellings etc[].

The plant has also been used, both internally and externally, as a treatment for rheumatism[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe since the seed only has a short viability[]. Seed can also be sown in the spring, though germination rates will be lower. It requires light for germination[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring.
The seed can also be sow in situ as soon as it is ripe.