Description of Angelica gigas (Purple Angelica)

Angelica gigas is a tall, moisture-tolerant plant with deep purple stems and rounded flower heads. It is often sold as purple angelica. It brings height near water and it does it without needing constant fuss.

Appearance

Angelica gigas starts with a clump of bold, divided leaves. Stems then rise and take on a rich purple tone. By mid to late summer it produces large, rounded umbels made up of many small flowers. Flower colour sits in the red-purple range, and the seed heads that follow keep the same dark look for a while. In good soil it can reach 1.5m to 2m tall, with a spread around 60 to 90cm. It has a strong, upright outline, so it works as a backdrop plant behind lower marginals.

If you like plants that hold shape, this one helps. The stems stay stiff, and the flower heads do not collapse after rain. It looks good near ferns, hostas, and iris foliage because the leaf shapes contrast.

Care Guide

Give Angelica gigas deep soil with plenty of organic matter. It likes moisture, but it also needs air around the roots, so aim for wet but not stagnant ground. Sun is fine, yet part shade often gives the best growth in the UK because the soil stays cooler.

• Water: Water well in the first year. After that, keep it moist in dry spells, especially if it is close to a liner where soil can bake at the surface.
• Feeding: Mulch with compost in spring. If you want more height, add a light feed in late spring.
• Staking: In exposed sites, add support early. A simple ring support hides once leaves fill out.
• After flowering: You can leave seed heads for structure. If you do not want seedlings, cut the heads off once they fade.
• Moving: Avoid disturbing older plants. If you must move it, do it when small, or grow fresh from seed.

Suitability for Bog Garden

Angelica gigas suits the back of a bog garden or the damp edge of a wildlife pond. It does best where the ground stays moist through summer, like the slope above a pond shelf or the deeper centre of a lined bog. It is not a plant for shallow water. Keep the crown in soil, not under water. It also works in a damp border that gets run-off from a bog garden, which helps you blend the planting into the rest of the garden. If you want a tall plant with dark stems that breaks up a block of green, this is a strong option.

FAQ

Is Angelica gigas a perennial?
It is short-lived. Many plants flower once and then die, but it often self-seeds in damp soil.

Will it cope with shade?
Yes. It grows well in part shade, which suits pond edges and woodland-style bog gardens.

Should I stake it?
In open, windy gardens it helps. Use a discreet cane ring before the stems get tall.