Osmorhiza claytonii (hairy sweet cicely)

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Osmorhiza, Genus, claytonii, Species,

Genus & species

hairy sweet cicely

Apiaceae Eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Fragrant (light)

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Osmorhiza claytonii is a clump-forming woodland perennial in the carrot family, growing 1.5-3 feet (45-90 cm) tall. The stems and leaves are softly hairy, and the foliage is twice or three times divided into toothed leaflets, giving a lacy, fern-like outline. From April to June it carries small white flowers in open, sparsely branched compound umbels held above the leaves; each umbel has only a few flowers, so the bloom reads as airy rather than showy. The flowers are followed by narrow, club-shaped fruits 0.6-0.9 inch (15-22 mm) long, ribbed and tipped with stiff bristles that cling to fur and clothing. Crushed roots and stem bases carry a faint anise scent, weaker than that of the related O. longistylis. It grows in rich, moist deciduous woodland and shaded slopes across eastern North America. The plant spreads by seed and can colonize bare woodland soil, though its quiet flowering and clinging fruit give it limited ornamental presence.

Native Range

Osmorhiza claytonii is native to eastern North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Georgia and Alabama and west to the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Arkansas. It occurs throughout the eastern deciduous forest region.

Suggested Uses

Used in shade and woodland gardens, native plant borders, and naturalized plantings beneath deciduous trees. It pairs with other spring woodland herbs in rich, moist soil. The lacy foliage fills gaps between larger shade perennials.

How to Identify

Identify by the soft hairs on stems and leaf stalks and the twice- to thrice-divided, fern-like leaves with toothed leaflets. The sparse white umbels carry only a few flowers, and the slender club-shaped fruits 0.6-0.9 inch (15-22 mm) long are tipped with clinging bristles. It separates from O. longistylis by its shorter flower styles, hairier surfaces, and fainter anise scent in the crushed root.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1'6" - 3'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

yellow

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~5 weeks

Flowers: April–June

Spring

Small white flowers open from April to June, with peak bloom in May across most of the range. The umbels are short-lived and give way to ripening fruit by early summer. Flowering runs later in cooler northern woodland and at higher elevations.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Tolerates up to 4 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0 (Acidic to neutral)

3579

Soil Types

loam silt

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow Osmorhiza claytonii in part to full shade in rich, moisture-retentive soil high in leaf litter. It suits the conditions of a deciduous woodland floor and declines in hot, dry, or exposed sites. Keep the root zone cool with a mulch of shredded leaves and water during summer dry spells. No feeding is needed where leaf litter is allowed to accumulate. The plant resents division and root disturbance, so it is set out as young plants and left in place. Self-sown seedlings appear nearby and can be moved while small if more plants are wanted.

Pruning

No routine pruning is required. Spent flowering stems can be cut after the bristly fruits ripen to limit self-seeding, or left to allow natural colonization. Tattered foliage may be removed in late summer.