Herb: Aniseroot


Latin name: Osmorhiza longistylis


Family: Umbelliferae



Medicinal use of Aniseroot:

A poultice of the roots are used in the treatment of boils and wounds. A tea made from the roots is stomachic. It has been used in the treatment of stomach complaints, kidney problems, amenorrhoea, general debility, to ease childbirth and also to bathe sore eyes.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
120 cm
(4 feet)

Flowering:
June
to July


Scent:
Scented
Perennial

Habitat of the herb:

Rich, often alluvial woods and thickets. Woods, often along the sides of streams in Texas.

Edible parts of Aniseroot:

Root - raw or cooked. Very sweet, aromatic and fleshy. A spicy flavour similar to anise, the roots are chewed, made into a tea or used as a flavouring. Leaves and young shoots - raw. An anise flavour, they are added to salads. The green seeds have an anise flavour and are used as a flavouring in salads, the dry seeds are added to cakes etc.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible, otherwise sow it in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation of Aniseroot:

Rich, often alluvial woods and thickets. Woods, often along the sides of streams in Texas.

Known hazards of Osmorhiza longistylis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.