Herb library · Herb · Angelica archangelica
Angelica
A tall, aromatic garden plant of northern Europe whose root, seed and preserved stems have long been used as medicine and food. Leaf extracts have been tried for night-time and overactive bladder in two small trials, with mixed results.
Traditional use
Native to northern Europe and the Alps and Pyrenees, and grown in Germany for the drug trade. It was valued as a household medicine and condiment in Lapland; the stems were preserved and eaten in Europe, and the root was given for rheumatic complaints, gout and chronic bronchitis. Today leaf extracts are sold for bladder symptoms.
Traditional energetics
Galenic (hot or cold, dry or moist)
Hot and dry in the third degree. Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1814), p. 231 (opens in a new tab)
What studies show
- Limited
Overactive bladder: a 2025 pilot trial of 143 adults found that 6 weeks of angelica leaf extract reduced daytime urination and improved quality of life compared with placebo. It is one small, preliminary study.
- Limited· shows no benefit
Night-time urination in men: a 2013 placebo-controlled trial of 69 men over 8 weeks found that an angelica leaf product did not reduce night-time urination overall compared with placebo. A subgroup did better, which the authors say needs more study.
Be careful of
Cautions
- NoteAngelica contains furocoumarins, compounds that can damage skin cells when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet (UVA) light, according to laboratory studies.
- NoteIn the two trials, the leaf extract was reported to be safe over 6 to 8 weeks. Longer use has not been studied.
- PregnancyNone of the sources read for this entry addresses safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Culpeper recorded that it "provokes menses", so ask a clinician first if you are pregnant.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“It is highly valued as a domestic drug and condiment by the natives of Lapland where it is indigenous. The stems are preserved in Europe and employed as a food and gastric excitant. The fresh root when broken, emits an aromatic fluid having the appearance of honey.”
Sources
- Effects of Angelica archangelica Extract on Overactive Bladder: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- A parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to investigate the effect of SagaPro on nocturia in men (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Application of the equivalency factor concept to the phototoxicity and -genotoxicity of furocoumarin mixtures (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.