Angelica - gorgeous plants and flowers for moist half shade
There are 50 species of Angelica that grow in moist woodlands, meadows and in any garden location where Hostas would thrive. All Angelicas have large leaves, mostly diamond shaped. The plants are large, growing a few feet tall and then up to 6-feet tall when they are in bloom so they would go in the back of a bed to provide an architectural look. Angelica is from the Latin angelus, meaning angel, and refers to its healing properties. Gigas means gigantic. Anglicas are short-lived perennials that are hardy in zones 4 to 9. They like deep, moist soil and part-shade and can re-seed in ideal conditions. In their native areas they grow alongside streams, in forests and grasslands. Bees love the flowers, deer avoid them, and some gardeners are sensitive to the sap. The cut flowers will last for weeks in a vase. The flower in the photos is Angelica gigas, a Korean native with purple-red stems and onion-sized flowering buds that open to dark, reddish-purple flowers. Ang...