Angelica atropurpurea - Purplestem Angelica

Sizes available: #1 (Trade gallon)

Basics: zones 4-10, 36-60" x 24-30", sun to part shade/dappled shade, purple stems, greenish-white blooms in a compound umbel in late summer, this plant wants wet feet and enjoys calcareous soils

Common names: Angelica, Purplestem Angelica, Masterwork, Alexanders, Great Angelica

Family: Apiaceae

Origin/Distribution: Newfoundland west to Minnesota, south to Delaware and Illinois, Native to Maine

Habitat: wet meadows and marshlands, pond edge, seeps

More: This is a short-lived perennial or biennial. It is deer resistant, statuesque in a damp meadow or large garden setting, and attractive to small pollinators such as Adrenid bees and bee flies. The young stems and stalks are edible cooked. Larval host for the Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius) and the Short-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio brevicauda gaspeensis), which is designated a species of greatest conservation need in Maine. It is also the larval host for several species of borer moths native to Maine. The leaves, roots, and seeds have been used medicinally, but this plant also contains potentially toxic components, so proceed with caution. 

Nursery: Van Berkum

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons