Angelica atropurpurea is a species of plant that can be found in moist and swampy woodlands, mostly by riverbanks. The plant grows to 6 feet (180 cm) tall with an erect branching stem that is purple. The stem is smooth, hollow, and sturdy. The leaves are divided into three parts, each with its own petiole. Each part of the leaf is subdivided into three to five segments. The total width of a lower leaf may be up to 2 feet (60 cm). The plant has white to greenish flowers in umbrella-like heads. A head may have as many as 40 branches and be up to 8 inches (20 cm) across. The stalks can be eaten like celery and the flavor is similar. Early America settlers boiled parts of the plant to make into candy and they also used it as an ingredient in cake. In Europe it was believed that the plant could cure alcoholism.