Apium graveolens 'Wild Celery'

[Ex North Yorkshire, England]

Apiaceae: an upright, hairless biennial with a characteristic strong smell of celery, to 1m. Found on rough, often saline, grassland and its distribution is mainly coastal. White flowers, in short-stalked or unstalked umbels 3-6cm across, from June-August. Stems are solid and grooved. The leaves are shiny, pinnate, basal leaves once or twice pinnate with toothed and lobed, diamond-shaped lobes. Absent from Scotland and commonest in coastal Southern England. Native to Central and southern Europe, including Britain, to temperate areas of Africa and Asia.

USES:

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and are mainly used as a flavouring in soups and the like. They can be eaten raw but have a very strong flavour. The seed can be used as flavouring, and used in small quantities to flavour soups and stews. An essential oil from the seed is also used as a flavouring. The root is also said to cooked and eaten.

Wild celery has a long history of medicinal. It is an aromatic bitter tonic herb that reduces blood pressure, relieves indigestion, stimulates the uterus and is anti-inflammatory. The ripe seeds, herb and root have aperient, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactogogue, nervine, stimulant and tonic properties.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Sow seeds in spring or autumn in pots or in situ. Just lightly cover the seeds. Plants prefers a rich moist soil in sun or semi-shade, but with some shade in the summer. A very aromatic plant, the aroma being most noticeable when the foliage is bruised.

HARVESTED:  2022*

APPROX. 200+ SEEDS