Home Ingredients Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Myrrhis odorata
Evidence Level
Preliminary
3 Clinical Trials
4 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata), also called anise cicely, garden myrrh or sweet chervil, is an herb in the carrot and celery family that grows in cool climates as far north as Scandinavia and Iceland. Its leaves, which taste like a stronger chervil, are cooked with rhubarb, gooseberries and other fruits, added to salads and drinks, or dried for herbal tea; the seeds go into cakes and candy, and the roots can be eaten or candied. Analyses of the leaf oil found (E)-anethole as its main component, while a European Medicines Agency table that lists the plant as sweet chervil gives up to 75% estragole in its essential oil. No human trial of sweet cicely was found, and its only tested effects come from lab work. It is a different plant from garden chervil, and foragers must not confuse it with poison hemlock or water hemlock.

Studied Dose No dose of sweet cicely has been tested for an effect in people. In one 2-week memory trial, an ethanol preparation of fresh sweet cicely, 5 ml twice daily diluted in water, served only as the placebo. Kitchen use involves small amounts of fresh leaf, seed or root.
Active Compound Essential oil dominated by (E)-anethole in leaf oil analyses (82 to 85% and 83.1%), with smaller amounts of germacrene D, beta-caryophyllene, limonene, chavicol methyl ether (estragole), alpha-pinene and myrcene; flavonoid glycosides of luteolin and apigenin.

Benefits

Anise-flavored herb used with tart fruit, in desserts and in tea

A spice handbook describes sweet cicely leaves cooked with rhubarb, gooseberries and other fruits, used in fruit salads, salads and drinks, and dried for herbal tea; the seeds go into cakes and candy and the root can be eaten or candied. A Slovenian study of traditional wild food use, combining cookbooks, ethnological sources and a survey, listed the leaves and fruits in syrups, beverages and desserts.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 3

Leaf essential oil led by (E)-anethole

Lab analyses only. Hydrodistilled leaf oil from plants grown in a botanical garden held 82 to 85% (E)-anethole among 16 identified compounds, and leaf oil from plants grown in Finland held 83.1% among 39 compounds. Anethole is also the main flavor compound of anise seed and fennel.

Supported by Trial 1

Antifungal activity of the essential oil in lab tests

Lab work only. In a test against seven bacteria and six fungi, sweet cicely essential oil had the weakest antibacterial effect of the three oils tested but the strongest antifungal effect, and minimal inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations against the fungi ranged from 0.5 to 120 micrograms per ml in the study as a whole. This shows nothing about eating the herb.

Supported by Trial 2

Metal content of a wild-harvested sample within modeled intake limits

Lab analysis only. A wild sample of sweet cicely aerial parts from Ireland was profiled for a panel of elements. No risk was found at modeled intakes of 200 mg or 200 g a day; at the higher intake the hazard index for cadmium, mercury and lead was 0.62, below the level of concern of 1. One sample from one site cannot describe products in general.

Supported by Trial 3

Mechanism of action

1

Anethole-rich oil carries the anise-like taste

Sweet cicely leaf oil is dominated by (E)-anethole, a flavor compound it shares with anise seed and fennel. A spice handbook notes that sweet cicely fruits can stand in for anise or fennel and that its leaves taste like chervil but stronger. Flavor is the established role; no health effect of this has been measured.

2

Estragole needs liver activation to become reactive

The EMA explains that liver enzymes, mainly CYP1A2, convert estragole to 1'-hydroxyestragole, which the sulfotransferase SULT1A1 turns into a reactive form that binds DNA. Such adducts have been found in mice and rats, and the EMA classes estragole as a genotoxic liver carcinogen in rodents.

3

Anethole and estragole behave differently in rodent studies

The EMA statement cites a rat liver gene expression model that grouped estragole and safrole with liver carcinogens and anethole, eugenol and isoeugenol with noncarcinogens, based on earlier rodent bioassays. The balance of the two compounds in a given sweet cicely sample may therefore matter, and no measurement of it in retail sweet cicely products was found.

Clinical trials

1
Lab Analysis: Composition of Sweet Cicely Leaf Oil Grown in Finland
PubMed

Hydrodistilled leaf oil of sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) grown in Finland, analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. (Uusitalo et al. 1999, J Essent Oil Res)

No participants; chemical analysis of plant oil only.

Thirty-nine compounds were identified, and (E)-anethole (83.1%) was the major constituent. The abstract does not report an estragole value, and the study tested no biological effect.

2
Lab Study: Sweet Cicely Essential Oil Against Bacteria and Fungi
PubMed

Comparison of the essential oils of Myrrhis odorata, Hypericum perforatum and Helichrysum arenarium against seven bacteria and six fungi, using a bioautographic test on TLC plates for the bacteria and Candida albicans and a microdilution test for the other fungi. (Rancic et al. 2005, J Essent Oil Res)

No participants; bacterial and fungal cultures only.

Sweet cicely oil had the weakest antibacterial effect of the three oils, but the best antifungal activity, outperforming a commercial product; across the study, minimal inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations for the fungi were 0.5 to 120 micrograms per ml. Effects of an oil in a dish do not show what eating the herb does.

3
Lab Analysis: Metal Profile and Modeled Intake Risk of Wild Sweet Cicely
PubMed

Multi-element analysis by high resolution ICP mass spectrometry of 50 botanical samples, including wild-collected aerial parts of sweet cicely from Ireland, with modeled hazard quotients and a hazard index at intakes of 200 mg and 200 g a day. (Kenny et al. 2022, Sci Rep)

No participants; one sweet cicely plant sample among 50 botanical samples.

This was the first reported metal profile of sweet cicely. No risk was detected for the sweet cicely sample at either modeled intake (hazard index 0.62 at 200 g a day), while 42% of all samples were flagged for possible cumulative exposure at high intake. The result applies to one sample, not to all sweet cicely products.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

No human study has tested sweet cicely extracts, capsules or teas for safety. In one 2-week memory trial a sweet cicely ethanol preparation was used as the placebo, 5 ml twice daily, and no adverse effects were reported, but that trial was not designed to assess the herb.
Estragole: an EMA table lists sweet chervil (Myrrhis odorata) at up to 75% estragole in its essential oil, with no figure for the plant part used, while leaf oil analyses name (E)-anethole as the main compound. The EMA treats estragole as a genotoxic carcinogen in rodents, says exposure from herbal medicines should be kept as low as practically achievable, limits such use to 14 days and sets a guidance value of 0.05 mg per person a day for adults.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: no safety data exist for sweet cicely products. The EMA does not recommend estragole-containing herbal medicines when intake exceeds 0.05 mg a day in pregnancy or breastfeeding, or 1.0 microgram per kg of body weight a day in children up to 11.
Do not forage for sweet cicely. Misidentification within the carrot family is common, and the most recent human deaths from poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) came from mistaking it for edible carrot family plants. All parts of poison hemlock are extremely poisonous, and poisoning can progress to potentially fatal respiratory depression.
Water hemlock (Cicuta and Oenanthe species) is regarded as one of the most poisonous plants in North America and the UK. Its toxins, cicutoxin and oenanthotoxin, can cause seizures, and even a small amount of plant matter may cause severe poisoning. Buy cultivated, clearly labeled sweet cicely.

Important Drug interactions

No human interaction studies of sweet cicely were found, and no interactions are documented for culinary amounts.

Frequently asked questions about Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

How is sweet cicely different from garden chervil and from poison or water hemlock?

Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) is an herb whose leaves taste like chervil but stronger, and whose fruits can stand in for anise or fennel; garden chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is a different plant. Poison hemlock belongs to the same plant family. Both it and water hemlock can be deadly, and mistaking hemlock for edible carrot family plants has caused deaths. Buy cultivated sweet cicely rather than foraging for it.

Does sweet cicely contain anethole or estragole?

Leaf oil analyses found (E)-anethole as the main compound, at 82 to 85% in one and 83.1% in another. An EMA table lists the plant as sweet chervil with up to 75% estragole in its essential oil but gives no figure for the herb itself. The EMA treats estragole as a genotoxic carcinogen in rodents and advises keeping exposure from herbal medicines as low as practical.

Has sweet cicely been tested in human studies?

No trial testing sweet cicely was found in PubMed or ClinicalTrials.gov. In one 2-week memory study, a sweet cicely ethanol preparation was used as the placebo for comparison with a sage, rosemary and melissa extract, and no adverse effects were reported. Its tested effects come from lab work on the essential oil.

Is every plant sold as sweet cicely the same species?

Not necessarily. The name usually refers to Myrrhis odorata, but Osmorhiza longistylis, a plant in a different genus, is also commonly called sweet cicely. Check the Latin name on the label, because findings for one plant do not apply to the other.

What is Sweet Cicely?

Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata), also called anise cicely, garden myrrh or sweet chervil, is an herb in the carrot and celery family that grows in cool climates as far north as Scandinavia and Iceland.

What is Sweet Cicely used for?

NutraSmarts does not list Sweet Cicely under a health category. What the research covers: A spice handbook describes sweet cicely leaves cooked with rhubarb, gooseberries and other fruits, used in fruit salads, salads and drinks, and dried for herbal tea; the seeds go into cakes and candy and the root can be eaten or candied.

What is the recommended dosage of Sweet Cicely?

No dose of sweet cicely has been tested for an effect in people. In one 2-week memory trial, an ethanol preparation of fresh sweet cicely, 5 ml twice daily diluted in water, served only as the placebo. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Sweet Cicely safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Sweet Cicely include: No human study has tested sweet cicely extracts, capsules or teas for safety. In one 2-week memory trial a sweet cicely ethanol preparation was used as the placebo, 5 ml twice daily, and no adverse effects were reported, but that trial was not designed to assess the herb. It may also interact with some medications. Sweet Cicely is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Sweet Cicely interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: No human interaction studies of sweet cicely were found, and no interactions are documented for culinary amounts. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Sweet Cicely?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Sweet Cicely as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 3 study summaries and 15 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(15 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Public statement on the use of herbal medicinal products containing estragole (EMA/HMPC/137212/2005 Rev 1 Corr 1), Final. European Medicines Agency. 2023;Revision 1 adopted 22 September 2021; corrected 12 May 2023..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (official EU public statement, read in full). Table 1, a food-sector compilation partly based on older publications, lists Myrrhis odorata (L.) Scop. as sweet chervil with no information on essential oil content, up to 75% estragole in the essential oil, and no value for estragole in the plant part used. Estragole is a genotoxic liver carcinogen in rodents after CYP-mediated 1'-hydroxylation and SULT1A1 sulfoconjugation; exposure should be kept as low as practically achievable, with herbal medicine use limited to 14 days; guidance values are 0.05 mg per person a day for adults, adolescents and pregnant or breastfeeding women and 1.0 microgram per kg body weight for children up to 11. A cited rat gene expression model grouped anethole with non-hepatocarcinogenic alkenylbenzenes.
  2. Tkachenko KG, Zenkevich IG. Chemical Composition of the Leaf Oil of Myrrhis odorata (L.) Scop. J Essent Oil Res. 1993;5(3):329-331. doi: 10.1080/10412905.1993.9698232.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (abstract read via Europe PMC, AGRICOLA record). Water-distilled leaf oil of Myrrhis odorata cultivated in botanical gardens, analyzed by GC and GC/MS: 16 constituents identified, with (E)-anethole (82 to 85%) the major component.
  3. Uusitalo JS, Jalonen JE, Aflatuni A, Luoma SL. Essential Leaf Oil Composition of Myrrhis odorata (L.) Scop. Grown in Finland J Essent Oil Res. 1999;11(4):423-425. doi: 10.1080/10412905.1999.9701174.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (abstract read via Europe PMC, AGRICOLA record). Hydrodistilled leaf oil of sweet cicely grown in Finland, analyzed by GC and GC/MS: (E)-anethole (83.1%) was the major constituent among 39 compounds identified.
  4. Rančić A, Soković M, Vukojević J, Simić A, Marin P, Duletić-Laušević S, Djoković D. Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils of Myrrhis odorata (L.) Scop, Hypericum perforatum L and Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench J Essent Oil Res. 2005;17(3):341-345. doi: 10.1080/10412905.2005.9698925.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (abstract read via Europe PMC, AGRICOLA record). Lab study of three essential oils against seven bacteria and six fungi: Myrrhis odorata oil showed the lowest antibacterial effect but the best antifungal activity, better than a commercial product, minimal inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations for fungi in the study were 0.5 to 120 micrograms per ml (not given separately for each oil). No human or animal testing.
  5. Kenny CR, Ring G, Sheehan A, Mc Auliffe MAP, Lucey B, Furey A. Novel metallomic profiling and non-carcinogenic risk assessment of botanical ingredients for use in herbal, phytopharmaceutical and dietary products using HR-ICP-SFMS. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):17582. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-16873-1.PubMedUsed to support: Lab analysis of 50 botanical samples, reporting the first metal profile of sweet cicely (wild-collected aerial parts, Ireland, sample BT-34): no risk was detected for this sample at modeled oral intakes of 200 mg and 200 g a day (hazard index 0.62 at 200 g a day, from cadmium, mercury and lead; copper not quantifiable); compendial limits were not exceeded overall, while 42% of all samples were flagged as potentially unsafe for cumulative copper, cadmium, mercury and lead exposure at high intake.
  6. Ravindran PN, Pillai GS, Divakaran M. Other herbs and spices: mango ginger to wasabi. In: Peter KV, ed. Handbook of Herbs and Spices (Second Edition). Woodhead Publishing. 2012;pp. 557-582. doi: 10.1533/9780857095688.557.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (book chapter, read in full via PubMed Central). Cicely (Myrrhis odorata; sweet cicely, anise cicely, garden myrrh) is one of the few aromatic culinary herbs of cold Scandinavian climates, reaching as far north as Iceland; the fruits substitute for anise or fennel and the leaves taste like chervil but stronger; the volatile oil contains trans-anethole, germacrene D, beta-caryophyllene, limonene, chavicol methyl ether, alpha-pinene, alpha-farnesene and myrcene, with luteolin and apigenin glucosides; leaves are used with rhubarb, gooseberries and other fruits, in salads, fruit salads and drinks and as dried herbal tea, seeds in cakes and candy, and roots as a vegetable or candied.
  7. Papež Kristanc A, Kreft S, Strgulc Krajšek S, Kristanc L. Traditional Use of Wild Edible Plants in Slovenia: A Field Study and an Ethnobotanical Literature Review. Plants (Basel). 2024;13(5):621. doi: 10.3390/plants13050621.PubMedUsed to support: Ethnobotanical field study and literature review: Myrrhis odorata leaves and fruits were recorded in syrups, beverages and desserts in Gorenjska, and its past use in spirits and as a spice for vegetable dishes in the Julian Alps is described as becoming obsolete.
  8. Götz ME, Eisenreich A, Frenzel J, Sachse B, Schäfer B. Occurrence of Alkenylbenzenes in Plants: Flavours and Possibly Toxic Plant Metabolites. Plants (Basel). 2023;12(11):2075. doi: 10.3390/plants12112075.PubMedUsed to support: Review of alkenylbenzenes in flavoring plants: some, such as safrole, methyleugenol and estragole, are proven genotoxic carcinogens while others need further evaluation; its Table 1 lists cicely leaf oils (sweet chervil, Myrrhis odorata) as a source of trans-anethole, alongside anise, fennel and tarragon; occurrence data in final plant food supplements are still limited.
  9. Perry NSL, Menzies R, Hodgson F, Wedgewood P, Howes MR, Brooker HJ, Wesnes KA, Perry EK. A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial of a combined extract of sage, rosemary and melissa, traditional herbal medicines, on the enhancement of memory in normal healthy subjects, including influence of age. Phytomedicine. 2018;39:42-48. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2017.08.015.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized trial in 44 healthy adults testing a sage, rosemary and melissa extract for 2 weeks; the placebo was an ethanol extract of Myrrhis odorata, so sweet cicely was the comparator, not the tested product. No overall difference in word recall between groups; no adverse effects were observed.
  10. Cave AE, Chang DH, Münch GW, Steiner-Lim GZ. A systematic review of the safety and efficacy on cognitive function of herbal and nutritional medicines in older adults with and without subjective cognitive impairment. Syst Rev. 2023;12(1):143. doi: 10.1186/s13643-023-02301-6.PubMedUsed to support: Systematic review whose study table describes the Perry 2018 placebo as 5 ml twice daily of a preparation of 50% fresh sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) with 1% black treacle in 45% ethanol, diluted in water, matched on smell and taste, for 2 weeks; no adverse effects were reported by participants.
  11. Singh B, Kalha CS, Razdan VK, Maheswari CU. First Report of Rust on Osmorhiza Longistylis Caused by Puccinia Pimpinellae in India. Plant Dis. 2011;95(11):1482. doi: 10.1094/PDIS-05-11-0396.PubMedUsed to support: Plant disease report stating that Osmorhiza longistylis, a plant in a different genus, is commonly known as sweet cicely; cited only to show that the common name sweet cicely is also used for an Osmorhiza species.
  12. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (accessed 2026). 40 CFR 180.41 Crop group tables eCFR, Title 40, Part 180. 2026;Current text (in effect since 2023-08-16) read via the eCFR API in October 2026 (not PubMed-indexed)..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed: federal regulation (read via the eCFR API). Crop Group 25 (Herb Group) lists Cicely, sweet, fresh leaves, Myrrhis odorata (L.) Scop. in subgroup 25A and the dried leaves in subgroup 25B; this groups crops for pesticide residue tolerances and is not a food safety or GRAS finding. A current eCFR full-text search for Myrrhis and for cicely returned only this section, so the plant is not named in FDA Title 21 food rules such as 21 CFR 182.10 or 182.20.
  13. Pokorny M, Davis S, Mangold J. Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum). MontGuide MT200013AG. Montana State University Extension. 2018;Revised January 2018. Accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (university extension guide, read in full). The most recent human deaths from poison hemlock resulted from mistaking it for edible species of the carrot family; misidentification with other carrot family members is common; the lower stems are mottled with purple spots; all parts are extremely poisonous, with coniine and gamma-coniceine as the principal toxins; water hemlock (Cicuta douglasii) is a native plant that is also very toxic.
  14. Şahin EA, Seida I, Balcioglu ZB. Conium Maculatum, one plant, four presentations: A case series. Am J Emerg Med. 2026;103:26-29. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2026.01.037.PubMedUsed to support: Case series (not a trial) of four people with Conium maculatum (poison hemlock) poisoning: the plant strikingly resembles edible species such as parsley and wild carrot, and its piperidine alkaloids cause early nicotinic overstimulation that can progress to potentially fatal respiratory depression.
  15. Schep LJ, Slaughter RJ, Becket G, Beasley DM. Poisoning due to water hemlock. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2009;47(4):270-8. doi: 10.1080/15563650902904332.PubMedUsed to support: Review: water hemlock (Cicuta and Oenanthe species) is regarded as among the most poisonous plants in North America and the UK; its toxins cicutoxin and oenanthotoxin act as GABA antagonists and can cause seizures; ingestion of even a small amount of plant matter may cause severe intoxication, which can be fatal without prompt supportive care.