Myrrhis odorata (sweet cicely)

The species has a distinct, strong smell of aniseed and was once a popular sweet and spice (søtekrydd in Norwegian, meaning ‘sweet spice’, lending its flavour to the traditional Norwegian sweets known as 'Kongen av Danmark' [The King of Denmark]), but it has also been grown as a vegetable.

From ancient times it is especially common in Hordaland, especially at former monastery estates and along pilgrimage routes. It grows, for example, on the hill behind Bergen Cathedral, at Stend, and here at the old garden at Fana folkehøgskole. Old lists from the barony of Rosendal show that they sowed seeds of Myrrhis odorata in the garden as early as 1667, and in 1760 the species was found growing in Bergen. The oldest specimen, however, is in the herbarium of pharmacist de Besche from 1719. The Besche family had a pharmacy garden on Ole Bulls plass and Torgallmenningen.

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