Alexanders- Edible

 Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

Alexander’s is quite a pungent smelling coastal plant, but I do find it in land sometimes. Alexanders was introduced by the Romans.

It’s part of the umbellifer family and has the classic umble flowerhead. There’s lots of culinary uses for this plant although the flavour is very strong. The flowers can be used like broccoli and the stems and leaves can be used in place of celery. The seeds, which of my favourite bits, can be used as a black pepper substitute.

This is a member of the celery family, so those with a celery allergy be careful with this plant

Identifying features for Alexanders

• young shoots appear late winter leaves are really shiny, glossy yellowish green, becoming darker with age

• The top leaf is trifolate (looks like a club from a deck of cards) with pointed tips, then the opposite paired leaves run down the stem or either a single serrated edge leaf, or a leaf that split into three with two smaller leaves, blow a larger terminal leaf

• The leaves and shoot all emerge from a green sheath that has pinkish red veins

• The flower buds before they open, are like green broccoli

• The once open clusters of yellow flowers make an umble shape (like and up turned umbrella) 

• The seeds are teardrop shape, starting off green with a little two-pronged, jester hat on, and become black and hard with age.

If you have all of these features, it’s likely you have Alexanders

Lookalikes

Hemlock water dropwort- deadly has smaller more celery like leaves

Angelica- edible. 

Ground elder - edible