Angelica is one of the most powerful medicinal plants in our latitudes, but is very easy to confuse with other umbelliferous plants. In particular, a mix-up with water or spotted hemlock - one of the deadliest plants in our latitudes - or with giant hogweed (also known as Hercules) can quickly become very dangerous.
How do I recognize the angelica plant?
Angelica can be recognized by its growth height of up to three meters, green flowers, turnip-shaped rhizome, round and slightly grooved stem and its pleasant, sweet smell. Attention: There is a risk of confusion with poisonous plants such as hemlock or giant hogweed.
Determining characteristics – an overview
The table below offers you an initial overview of the most important identifying characteristics of the various umbelliferous plants that are easily confused with one another. The most important distinguishing feature is the color of the flowers - the umbels of angelica are green, while all other plants are white.
| Height | Roots | Stem | Leaves | leaf stems | Bloom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicinal Angelica | up to three meters | beet-shaped rhizome | round, slightly grooved and hollow | long stalked, two to three pinnates | round, hollow | hemispherical to spherical, green |
| Forest angelica | up to one and a half meters | Rhizomes | round, slightly grooved and hollow | Underside hairy, two to three pinnates | curdles | hemispherical, white or pink |
| Water Hemlock | up to one and a half meters | Rhizomes | hollow, finely grooved, red spotted below | two to three pinnates, underside grey-green, upper side dark green | ripped | flat to hemispherical umbels, white |
| Giant hogweed | up to three meters | up to 15 cm thick taproot | hairy, dark to purple spotted, hollow | fingered | including leaves up to three meters long | plate-shaped, white |
Distinguishment by smell
While giant hogweed and angelica are still relatively easy to distinguish from one another, it is not so easy to distinguish between the extremely poisonous hemlock and angelica. In addition to the color of the flowers, the specific smell of the plants can also be used to differentiate - while Angelica exudes a sweet, pleasant smell that is reminiscent of a lean bitter (especially the stem!), the scent of spotted hemlock, which is also very intense, is more reminiscent Mouse urine and is described as very unpleasant.
Tip
However, due to the very high risk of confusion, laypeople are not advised to collect wild angelica. However, you can also cultivate the medicinal plant in your own garden or purchase the plant components or the essential oil from a pharmacy.
