How to Grow and Care for Sweet cicelies

Longstyle sweetroot (Osmorhiza longistylis) is a plant species also known as anise root. Longstyle sweetroot releases a sweet, licorice-like smell when it is crushed. Its white umbels turn into seeds, which are spread by clinging to animals or people that brush against the plant.

Clayton's Sweetroot can be found in the eastern United States and Canada. The plant's roots and leaf stalks are edible cooked and are sometimes harvested in the wild for this purpose. Its barbed seeds can catch onto fur (or clothing) for dispersal.

Osmorhiza berteroi, or mountain sweet cicely, is a short-lived perennial found in both North and South America. This perennial herb was once used as a source of food by Native Americans. It can grow up to 1 m tall and prefers wooded areas.

Sweet cicely (Osmorhiza aristata) is pollinated by insects when its small white flowers bloom in early summer. This season is the best time to observe it in its native subtropical highland mountainsides and river banks. The plant's elaborate leaves and sweet bouquet give it some ornamental appeal and it is a good candidate for naturalized garden plantings.

Bluntseed sweetroot (*Osmorhiza depauperata*) is a member of the carrot family. It is indigenous to the damp forest floors of the Americas and requires fertile soil to thrive. Black swallowtail butterflies visit this plant, as it serves as their primary food source. The anise-scented roots gave meaning to the genus name Osmorhiza, which translates in Greek to "fragrant root."