Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) - Wildlife-Friendly, Ancient Naturalised (Peat-Free Super Plugs & 9cm Pots)

Beloved in old cottage gardens, Sweet Cicely brings early, lace-like umbels and soft, aromatic foliage that looks at home along paths, orchard edges and woodland borders. As an umbellifer, its many tiny flowers offer easy nectar/pollen access for hoverflies (great aphid predators), solitary bees and parasitic wasps, supporting the wider garden food web right at the late spring gap.

It’s tough yet elegant: happy in sun or part shade, at its best in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soils. Plants form clumps 60-120 cm tall, flowering in late spring with a light second wave if cut back. Self-seeds politely - easy to thin or transplant young volunteers where you want them.

Where it thrives

• Sun to light/part shade (perfect for the woodland edge)

• Moist, humus-rich, well-drained soils; add leaf-mould for best growth

• Cottage/meadow borders, orchard edges, wildlife allotments, big containers

Planting & care
Plant 30-45 cm apart; water to establish then keep evenly moist. Deadhead some stems to shape, but leave a few umbels for pollinators and seed. Cut back after flowering for fresh foliage. Mulch annually with leaf-mould or composted bark.

Edible, with an honest note
Leaves and green seeds have a gentle aniseed sweetness - traditionally used with rhubarb to reduce added sugar. If you’re gardening for wildlife, harvest lightly or grow an extra clump so flowering isn’t reduced.

Status & provenance (truth-first)
Not strictly UK native, but ancient naturalised (grown here since the 1500s) and genuinely useful to pollinators. Our plants are peat-free and pesticide-free.

Safety / foraging note
Umbellifers can be confused with poisonous relatives in the wild. Only eat from clearly labelled garden plants you know are Sweet Cicely; avoid foraging look-alikes. People with sensitive skin may prefer gloves when handling in bright sun.

Joel says…
“Sweet Cicely is perfect for shady cottage borders - early umbels for insects, beautiful foliage, and a gentle herbal scent. Let a few seed for natural drifts and keep one clump for the kitchen. As always, peat-free and ready to thrive.”

Although there is a minimum order requirement of 8 plugs when purchasing specific species, if selecting our Super Plug Bespoke Pack, you can select up to 4 species of your choice from our given list to make up a 16 pack (or greater), allowing you a wider choice of plug species if 8 of one is too many. Find the link to our Super Plug Bespoke Pack here!

These SUPER PLUG specimens are available in 8 pack, 16 pack, 32 pack and 48 pack. The 9CM POTS are available individually.

They're both ready to be shipped to you in a few days.

If you need ANY advice on planting or suitable plants for a specific area, please remember that as a Wild Your Garden customer you're entitled to free professional and tailored advice from our founder, Joel.

Why Wild Your Garden?
Unlike mass-produced plants from commercial growers, our wildflowers and herbs come from small, peat-free family nurseries that never use pesticides or herbicides, so they’re safe for wildlife from day one. Joel has used these trusted growers for 20+ years in his landscaping projects - tried, tested, and genuinely wildlife-friendly. By buying from Wild Your Garden, you’re also supporting independent growers who put nature first.