How to Grow Alexanders

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil texture	sand, clay, chalk or loam (RHS)
Drainage	well-drained
Lifecycle	biennial
Edible parts	leaves, stems, flowers, seeds, roots

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: moist but well-drained or well-drained (RHS)

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	Propagate by seed, in free-draining soil in full sun (RHS).
Semi-evergreen leaf growth	3	Vibrant green, glossy leaves develop on the solid, later hollow and grooved stem, growing well in coastal areas (RHS, Foraging and More).
Flowering	6	Greenish-yellow flowers with a pungent, myrrh-like scent appear in umbrella-like clusters (RHS).
Harvest (all parts edible)	8	All parts can be harvested -- leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and roots -- with older leaves and stems typically cooked to reduce bitterness (Foraging and More).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: All parts are edible -- leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and roots -- with a very strong celery-like taste; older leaves and stems are typically cooked due to their bitterness (Foraging and More).

Alexanders, a Forgotten Pot Herb

Solid, then hollow with age

RHS: a solid stem that becomes hollow and grooved as the plant ages.

Sources

1. Foraging and More - Alexanders | Smyrnium olusatrum

   A secondary gardening reference rather than a university or horticultural authority, used for edible-parts/foraging/culinary detail RHS's garden-plant framing does not cover, not contradicted by it. Formerly widely grown as a pot herb across Europe, now appreciated mostly by foragers -- commonly found along coastal areas, hedgerows and waste ground. Easily identified by vibrant green, glossy leaves, yellowish-green flowers, and hollow stems. All parts of the plant are edible: leaves, stems, flowers, seeds, and roots, with a very strong celery-like taste. Older leaves and stems are typically cooked due to their bitterness.

2. Plants For A Future (PFAF) - Smyrnium olusatrum

   PFAF entry for Smyrnium olusatrum. Fetched and parsed directly for the USDA hardiness rating.

These 2 sources are specific to this region. The full list of 4 sources behind this guide (Foraging and More, Foraging Course Company, Plants For A Future (PFAF) and others) is in the references of our UK guide to alexanders; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.