Smooth sweet cicely is an edible plant native to North America in the carrot family. The genus name osmorhiza comes from the Greek word osme which means "odour" and rhiza which means "root." The name claytonii is named in commemoration of John Clayton (1694-1773) who was an early plant collector in Virginia. Care should be taken when denitrifying smooth sweet cicely as it also have a slight resemblance to poison hemlock.
There are currently no commercial applications for smooth sweet cicely.
Within the realm of naturopathic medicine and folklore, the roots of the smooth sweet cicely plant were chewed or gargled as a treatment for sore throats. A poultice of the moistened pulverized roots has been applied to boils, cuts, sores as well as a tea made from the roots that has been used to bathe sore eyes. Proteins in the plant were also used for individuals to help in gaining weight.
Please note that MIROFOSS does not suggest in any way that plants should be used in place of proper medical and psychological care. This information is provided here as a reference only.
The roots and leaf stalks of the smooth sweet cicely plant can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The aromatic roots and unripe seeds are used as anise-like flavourings and the stalks are said to be pleasant to chew.
Please note that MIROFOSS can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the consumption of plant species which are found in the wild. This information is provided here as a reference only.
Smooth Sweet Cicely is a perennial plant which lives in moist wooded areas in partial shade. Smooth Sweet Cicely is suitable for light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. Smooth Sweet Cicely prefers to grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil but can survive along roadsides.
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Smooth Sweet Cicely is a perennial plant which can grow from 15cm to 90cm in height. The taproot of smooth sweet cicely is thick and hairy with a strong anise scent. The leaves are alternate pinnately compound with three to eleven leaflets varying from 1.5cm to 9cm long on each stem. Smooth sweet cicely boasts a clean white rounded cluster of flowers which blooms from mid May into July depending on location. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.
| Plant Height | 15cm to 90cm |  |
| Habitat | Roadsides, Forests, Clearings | |
| Leaves | Odd Pinnate | |
| Leaf Margin | Serrate | |
| Leaf Venation | Pinnate | |
| Stems | slender tall spiny stem | |
| Flowering Season | May to July | |
| Flower Type | Rounded clusters of ray less flowers | |
| Flower Colour | White | |
| Pollination | Insects | |
| Flower Gender | Flowers are hermaphrodite and the plants are self-fertile | |
| Fruit | hard black pods which open at maturity | |
| USDA Zone | 5A (-26°C to -28°C) cold weather limit |
No known health risks have been associated with smooth sweet cicely. However ingestion of naturally occurring plants without proper identification is not recommended.
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-Click here- or on the thumbnail image to see an artist rendering, from The United States Department of Agriculture, of smooth sweet cicely. (This image will open in a new browser tab) |
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There is currently no seed image(s) available for smooth sweet cicely. |
Smooth Sweet Cicely can be referenced in certain current and historical texts under the following three names:
Smooth Sweet Cicely can be translated into the following select languages:
| Arabic | بقدونس إفرنجي الحلو | Bulgarian | Chinese (Sim) | 甜西塞莉 | |
| Croatian | slatka Cicely | Czech | Danish | ||
| Dutch | Esperanto | dolĉa Cicely | Estonian | magus Cicely | |
| Finnish | French | osmorhize | German | Süssdolde | |
| Greek | γλυκό Σικελία | Hebrew | סיסלי ריחני | Hungarian | édes Cicely |
| Italian | Finocchiella | Japanese | 甘いシシリー | Korean | 달콤한 각종 미나리과 식물 |
| Punjabi | Lithuanian | saldus Cicely | Norwegian | søt Cicely | |
| Persian | Polish | marchewnik anyżowy | Portuguese | cecília doce | |
| Romanian | Cicely dulce | Russian | сладкий Сесили | Slovak | |
| Spanish | Swedish | söt cicely | Tagalog | matamis cicely | |
| Turkish | Ukrainian | солодкий Сесілі | Vietnamese | Cicely ngọt |
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The MIROFOSS database offers free printable garden tags for personal and non-profit use. These tags can be used to properly identify plant samples in a garden. Click on the tags shown on the the screen or -click here- to download a full size jpeg image for a smooth sweet cicely identification tag; which can be printed on paper or used with a plastic laser printer. |
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| Description | Radford, A. E., H. E. Ahles & C. R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas i–lxi, 1–1183. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill |
| Folklore | Stace, C.A. 2010. New flora of the British isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521707725 |
| Biology | Voss, E. G. 1985. Michigan Flora. Part II Dicots (Saururaceae-Cornaceae). Bulletin of the Cranbrook Institute of Science 59. |
| Biology | Gleason, H. A. 1968. The Choripetalous Dicotyledoneae. vol. 2. 655 pp. In H. A. Gleason: New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, New York |
| Biology | Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, |
| Image Rendering | USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. |
| Environment | National Audubon Society. Field Guide To Wildflowers (Eastern Region): Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-40232-2 |
| Physical Identification | National Audubon Society. Field Guide To Wildflowers (Eastern Region): Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-40232-2 |
| August 01, 2015 | The last time this page was updated |
| ©2025 MIROFOSS™ Foundation | |
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