Comments on: Angelica gigas

By: jean

jean — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:02:03 +0000

I have a friend who gave me 2 angelicas. To me these are the most amazing plants. When they grew to 6 feet I was totally surprised. They don’t grow from the same plant every year. They make lil ones away from where they grew! Just love them

By: Becky Robert

Becky Robert — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:48:15 +0000

Angelica gigas, a member of the Apiaceae family, is known to attract a wide range of insects including wasps. Most of the wasp species are parasitoids of other insects, attacking the egg or larval stage of their host. The adult wasps voraciously feed on nectar and pollen and often “bully” other feeders out of the way. Identification can be daunting as there are so many wasps, many of which have yet to be formally identified. Based on your description, the wasp you described could be a beneficial in family Trigonalidae. A great reference site is Bug Guide hosted by Iowa State University Entomology. The database is comprehensive with great photographs. Another great feature is the ability to email photographs directly to them for identification.

BugGuide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
Direct link to wasp page: http://bugguide.net/node/view/59

By: Ellen Wolf

Ellen Wolf — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:58:51 +0000

My Angelica gigas which was planted this past spring seems very happy but what kind of nectar-huingry wasps are they that are feasting all over the blossoms?
You mention these wasps in your plant-of-the-month description. They keep all other bees, wasps & butterfulies away as they swarm all over the blossoms.
They are thin, blackish looking from a distance but with numerous THIN yellow bands across the abdomen.
Thanks in advance
Ellen Wolf

By: tricia

tricia — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:30:10 +0000

Wonderful to behold and great story……absolutely fell in love when I saw the picture of ‘herself’ as a specimen planting