Angelica (_Angelica officinalis_) is a European biennial plant of the
parsley family, sometimes grown in this country as a culinary herb and
known commonly as garden angelica. The fresh stems and leafstalks are
used as a garnish and for making a candied confection. The seeds and
the oil distilled from them are employed in flavoring, and the aromatic
roots are sometimes used in medicine.
Angelica thrives best in a moderately cool climate and may be grown in
any good soil, although a deep, fairly rich loam which is moist but
well drained will give the best results. The soil should be deeply
plowed and well prepared before planting. The plant is most readily
propagated from divisions of old roots, which may be set either in the
fall or spring about 18 inches apart in rows. The seeds germinate very
poorly if more than one year old, and it is best to sow them as soon
as they are ripe in a seed bed, which should be kept moist by frequent
watering if necessary. Early in the following spring the seedlings are
transplanted and set about 2 feet apart each way in their permanent
location. Plants may also be obtained from seeds sown in March in
a spent hotbed or in a cold frame. In order to increase the root
development, the plants are often transplanted a second time, at the
end of the first year's growth, and set 3 or 4 feet apart. For the same
reason the tops are often cut back to prevent the formation of seed.
During the growing seasons the soil should be kept mellow and free from
weeds by frequent cultivation.
The roots are usually harvested in the fall of the second year, but
sometimes those of the first-year plants are marketed. After being dug,
the roots are washed and dried in the open air. In order to keep out
insects and to preserve the aroma it is best to store the dried root in
tin containers which can be tightly closed. The root of the European
or garden angelica found in our drug markets is imported largely from
Germany. During the past few years the wholesale price has averaged
about 20 cents a pound.
The root of a native species of angelica (_Angelica atropurpurea_),
commonly called American angelica, also occurs in the drug markets
of this country. It is collected from wild plants, and the price to
collectors in former years usually ranged from 6 to 10 cents a pound.
The prices in June, 1920, were for the seed 20 cents and for the root
14 cents a pound.