Angelica

[Susie]

Somewhere on here we had a discussion within a thread about Angelica. My plant was bought in the spring of 2006 and I expected it to flower that year but it didn't. I brought it with me when I moved house in 2006 and finally, this year, it has buds. It is making up for the delay by being a good seven and a half feet tall and is covered in flower buds. I can't wait to see what it attracts.

Kayleigh, I haven't forgotten, I shall be harvesting some seed in time and will put some away for you.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Susie

Somewhere on here we had a discussion within a thread about Angelica. My plant was bought in the spring of 2006 and I expected it to flower that year but it didn't. I brought it with me when I moved house in 2006 and finally, this year, it has buds. It is making up for the delay by being a good seven and a half feet tall and is covered in flower buds. I can't wait to see what it attracts.

Kayleigh, I haven't forgotten, I shall be harvesting some seed in time and will put some away for you.

Thank you Susie..
I love these plants. I thought they were biennial

[Susie]

They are supposed to be biennial. I can only think that the first year I had it it suffered so badly with leafminers it wasn't able to put any energy into making flowers. Then we moved house and it was put into it's new position and it took a while to get enough energy to put on the magnificent show we are going to have shortly.

[aeshna5]

Angelica is a perennial.

[Susie]

It is perennial? Really? I didn't know that. It looks like it is dying back now, is that normal? Will it regrow next year?

Anyway, it is eight foot tall (possibly taller!) and covered in seed heads, some of which are now ripe.

It was smothered in loads of flying creatures when it was in bloom, particularly bees, but there were hover flies laying eggs on it and all sorts.

I haven't looked at it closely until recently and didn't realise until today when I went to harvest some seed that it has blackfly and living on the blackfly are dozens and dozens of ladybird larva. These aren't the usual harlequins that I now get in the garden either.

Anyway, if you would like some seed, Kayleigh, then just pm me your address.

[ron1863]

Susie, check this site out, it can be biannual or perennial can take up to 5 years to flower and can be used in cooking:

Edible Flowers - Angelica

[Susie]

Thanks for the link, Ron. Excellent.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Susie

It is perennial? Really? I didn't know that. It looks like it is dying back now, is that normal? Will it regrow next year?

Anyway, it is eight foot tall (possibly taller!) and covered in seed heads, some of which are now ripe.

It was smothered in loads of flying creatures when it was in bloom, particularly bees, but there were hover flies laying eggs on it and all sorts.

I haven't looked at it closely until recently and didn't realise until today when I went to harvest some seed that it has blackfly and living on the blackfly are dozens and dozens of ladybird larva. These aren't the usual harlequins that I now get in the garden either.

Anyway, if you would like some seed, Kayleigh, then just pm me your address.

Pm on the way now, and thank you..
I like the sound of all the ladybird larva.

[Paul mabbott]

In my (considerable) experience, it always dies after seeding. Perhaps if you chopped off the flowers it would survive indefinitely? But that would be no fun. Mostly bugs, spiders and carpet beetles on mine!

[Susie]

It does look very impressive covered with huge seed heads, it would be a shame to cut them off before they flowered. I am planning to leave them over winter for the birds to feed on.

Once the seeds are gone and I cut it down I am going to use the hollow stems to make solitary bee houses. These are just bundles of hollow stems of about eight inches long tied with string and hung around the garden in sunny sheltered places. I suppose they will provide shelter for all sorts of insects, not just the bees.