How to Grow Sweet Cicely UK

When to Plant Sweet Cicely in the UK

When to plant sweet cicely in the UK: in Southern England, sow early September to early November. Find your area in the table below.

Region	Sow
Southern England	early September to early November
Midlands	early September to early November
Northern England	early September to early November
Scotland	early September to early November

Southern England - detail & sources

Gardener's Path: sow direct into a well-prepared seedbed in autumn (roughly September to early November), since the seed needs a cold period to germinate; a spring sowing is possible only after four weeks of artificial chilling. A single autumn window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the sources give no UK-region-specific gradient; sweet cicely is H5-hardy and is naturalised in northern Britain, so it is, if anything, better suited to the cooler regions.

Midlands - detail & sources

Gardener's Path: sow direct into a well-prepared seedbed in autumn (roughly September to early November), since the seed needs a cold period to germinate; a spring sowing is possible only after four weeks of artificial chilling. A single autumn window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the sources give no UK-region-specific gradient; sweet cicely is H5-hardy and is naturalised in northern Britain, so it is, if anything, better suited to the cooler regions.

Northern England - detail & sources

Gardener's Path: sow direct into a well-prepared seedbed in autumn (roughly September to early November), since the seed needs a cold period to germinate; a spring sowing is possible only after four weeks of artificial chilling. A single autumn window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the sources give no UK-region-specific gradient; sweet cicely is H5-hardy and is naturalised in northern Britain, so it is, if anything, better suited to the cooler regions.

Scotland - detail & sources

Gardener's Path: sow direct into a well-prepared seedbed in autumn (roughly September to early November), since the seed needs a cold period to germinate; a spring sowing is possible only after four weeks of artificial chilling. A single autumn window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the sources give no UK-region-specific gradient; sweet cicely is H5-hardy and is naturalised in northern Britain, so it is, if anything, better suited to the cooler regions.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Drainage	Moist but well-drained
Lifecycle	perennial
Edible parts	leaves, seeds, roots

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing and cold period	0	Sow direct into a well-prepared seedbed in autumn so seed gets the cold it needs, or chill seed in a fridge for four weeks and sow into pots in spring, one seed per pot (Gardener's Path).
Seedling establishment	1	Thin seedlings to about 25cm as they grow, transplanting in spring if needed, or plant out pot-raised seedlings once all frost risk has passed; water regularly through the first season to root in (Gardener's Path).
Clump development	3	Plants build to 1-1.5m tall and 0.5-1m wide over two to five years in partial shade on moist but well-drained loam; keep evenly moist but not waterlogged (RHS, Gardener's Path).
Flowering, seed and harvest	6	White umbels open in early summer and are followed by large ridged spindle-shaped seeds; leaves are picked through the season, green seeds eaten fresh and ripe seeds used in cooking. Dead-head regularly, as sweet cicely self-seeds freely (RHS, Gardener's Path).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: RHS: leaves, seeds, and roots all edible raw or cooked; when grown as a culinary herb, "remove flower stalks as they develop to improve the quality of the leaves"; fresh green seed pods used to sweeten rhubarb.

Storage

Best used fresh

Sweet Cicely, the Aniseed Herb That Sweetens Sharp Fruit

White umbels in early summer

Flat heads of small white flowers open above the foliage in early summer.

Soft, fern-like leaves

RHS: the deciduous, fern-like foliage carries a distinct aniseed scent.

A substantial clump

Plants build to 1-1.5m tall and 0.5-1m wide over two to five years in partial shade.

Naturalised in the north

Long naturalised in northern Britain, sweet cicely is a familiar hedgerow and roadside plant.

Ridged, spindle-shaped seeds

The large ridged seeds are eaten green and fresh, or used ripe in crumbles and pies.

What the research guides add

Sweet cicely is a perennial that grows best in the shade where many herbs struggle.

• An aromatic herbaceous perennial with fern-like leaves and umbels of small white flowers in early summer, followed by aniseed-scented fruits. (RHS)
• Grow it in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in dappled shade. When used as a culinary herb, remove the flower stalks as they develop to improve the quality of the leaves. (RHS)
• Propagate by seed or by division in spring or autumn. If grown in pots, it needs a deep pot to accommodate its deep taproot. (RHS, Missouri Botanical Garden)
• It is generally free of pests and diseases, and should be cut back after flowering. (RHS)

Sources for this section

• Royal Horticultural Society: Myrrhis odorata (sweet cicely)
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Myrrhis odorata (Plant Finder)

Section researched and checked on 25 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

References

1. Gardener's Path - How to Plant and Grow Sweet Cicely

   Aromatic perennial in the Apiaceae (carrot) family with edible flowers, leaves, roots, seeds and stems; bright green lacy foliage with a rich aniseed flavour. Sow direct into a well-prepared seedbed in autumn, watering freely and thinning to about 25cm as plants grow, transplanting in spring if needed; alternatively chill seed for 4 weeks in the fridge then sow into pots in spring, one seed per pot, planting out after all frost risk has passed. Grow in a sunny or lightly shaded spot in moist, fertile, well-drained soil with compost added at planting. Water regularly through the first season to root in, then keep evenly moist but not waterlogged. Green unripe seeds can be eaten fresh or added to fruit salads; ripe seeds go into apple crumbles and pies. Self-seeds freely, so dead-head regularly if more plants are not wanted.

2. GBIF - GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Myrrhis odorata
3. Royal Horticultural Society - Myrrhis odorata | sweet cicely

3 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.