How to Grow Alexanders USA | Complete Growing Guide

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil pH	5.5 - 7.5
Sunlight	6-6 hours direct sun
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)

Soil pH range

5.5 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

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

Once a widely-grown pot herb

Formerly widely grown across Europe as a pot herb, Alexanders is now appreciated mostly by foragers, commonly found wild along coastal areas, hedgerows and waste ground.

Every part is edible

Unusually, all parts of the plant are edible -- leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and roots -- with a very strong celery-like taste.

A pungent, myrrh-like scent

RHS: greenish-yellow flowers with a pungent, myrrh-like scent, borne in umbrella-like clusters.

Solid, then hollow with age

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

Generally pest and disease-free

RHS reports Alexanders as generally pest-free and disease-free, growing well in coastal areas in full sun.

References

1. RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) - Smyrnium olusatrum | alexanders

   A vigorous semi-evergreen biennial reaching 75-120cm tall, with a solid stem that becomes hollow and grooved with age. Greenish-yellow flowers with a pungent, myrrh-like scent, in umbrella-like clusters. Native to the Mediterranean, also native to GB/Ireland. Hardiness H6 (-20 to -15C). Full sun, south-, west- or east-facing aspect, sheltered. Soil: sand, clay, chalk, loam; moist but well-drained or well-drained; neutral, acid or alkaline pH. Height 1-1.5m, spread 0.1-0.5m. Time to maturity 1-2 years. Propagate by seed. Generally pest-free and disease-free. Best grown in free-draining soil in full sun; grows well in coastal areas.

1 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.