NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Osmorhiza longistylis

Anise-root, Sweet Cicely, Smooth Sweet Cicely, Longstyle Sweetroot, Licorice Root, Wild Anise

Scientific Name:	Osmorhiza longistylis
Genus:	Osmorhiza
Species Epithet:	longistylis
Common Name:	Anise-root, Sweet Cicely, Smooth Sweet Cicely, Longstyle Sweetroot, Licorice Root, Wild Anise
Plant Type	Herb/Wildflower
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Apiaceae (Carrot Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Size:	1-3 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	White
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Moist
Bloom Time:	April, May
Growing Area:	Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Moist, fertile forests (Weakley 2015). Common in Mountains and Piedmont, rare in Coastal Plain.
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Compound
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Has some wildlife value
Landscape Value:	Suitable for home landscapes
State Rank:	S4: Apparently secure, S?: Uncertain ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G5 - Secure ^(*Key)
Notes:	Some folks say that they seed about too much. They are easy to pull up but I have not had the problem because I eat most of the seeds.
Plant Tom Harville
Blooms Tom Harville
Blooms Close Up Tom Harville You can see here how the name longistylis came about.
Green Seeds Tom Harville This is the stage that I think the seeds taste the best. They are sweet with a hint of anise flavor. They get too bitter to me as they age.
Mature Seeds Tom Harville These seeds will stick to your clothes or hair to move about. Reminds me of spanish needles.
This perennial plant- native to rich, moist woods- grows to about 1-3 ft tall. Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, Orange Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
Compound leaves are triangular in shape, alternate on the stem, and bipinnately to tripinnately divided with serrated margins. Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, Orange Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
The flowers occur at the tip of the stems and are in compound umbels. Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, Orange Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
Each umbel is made up of about 4-6 umbellets, with each umbellet having 8-16 tiny white, 5-petaled flowers. Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, Orange Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
The 2 white styles exceed the length of the petals. This characteristic is used to distinguish this species from the similar Osmorhiza claytonii. Seven Mile Creek Natural Area, Orange Co., NC Bettina Darveaux
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record