Smyrnium olusatrum aka Alexanders

Smyrnium olusatrum, or alexanders, is in the carrot family, Apiaceae. People also call it black lovage or horse parsley. Thanet celery is one more name for this plant. Kew gives its native range as Macaronesia through the Mediterranean to Chad. It grows in hedges and on waste ground, often near coasts. This plant of temperate lands has long served as a food crop. Its strong taste is like celery, but the stems taste sharper.

Alexanders grows fast as a biennial, a plant with a two-year life. Kew also records perennial plants, which live for more years. It forms clumps and reaches full size within one or two years. The RHS gives a height of 2.5–4 feet [0.75–1.2 metres]. Its listed garden size reaches 5 feet [1.5 metres]. The spread reaches about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Young stems are solid but grow hollow and grooved with age. The flat leaf parts split into threes and have blunt teeth. The RHS notes some leaf cover through winter. It also lists the leaves as deciduous, meaning they fall off.

Small flowers have a greenish-yellow hue and grow in umbrella-shaped groups. Their strong scent is like that of myrrh. The flowers suit informal beds, cottage gardens, and plots for wildlife. PFAF also lists the plant for use in forest gardens. It can grow on sunny woodland edges and in patchy shade. This leafy plant can grow in hedgerows too. Its coastal home makes it useful for seaside gardens.

For gardens, the RHS favours full sun and soil that drains well. Moist soil suits it if excess water can drain away. It accepts sand, clay, chalk, and loam across the pH range. The RHS gives it a hardiness rating of H6. PFAF lists USDA zones 5–9. Grow new plants from seed; they need no routine pruning. The RHS reports few usual pest or disease problems.

Use leaves and young shoots in salads or cooked dishes. Growth in autumn can give leaves through the winter. Leafy seedlings can take the place of parsley. You can eat the stems raw or cooked too. Blocking light as stems grow can make their strong taste milder. PFAF also lists roots, flowers, and raw flower buds as edible. It records no known hazards, not proof of safety for everyone. People once used the plant as a bitter remedy to aid digestion. They also used it for asthma, period complaints, and wounds. PFAF treats these health uses as mostly out of date.