Updated 31 January 2024
Botanical characteristics
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Apiales
- Family: Apiaceae
- Genus: Foeniculum
- Distilled portion: Seeds
- Country of origin: France
Authorised users
Children under 6 years
Routes of administration
- Oral route: +++
- Skin: ++
Scientific properties
- Aperitif, digestive tonic, carminative, stomachic
- Decongestant, expectorant
- Diuretic, purgative, slimming
- antispasmodic
- Galactogenic
- Emmenagogue
Indications
- Difficult breastfeeding
- Abdominal swelling
- Flatulence
- Fatty meals that are difficult to digest
- Bronchitis
- Cough
- Loss of appetite
- Menstrual pain
- Amenorrhoea
- Cellulite
- Water retention
Directions for use/usual dosage
- To promote lactation, mix with other hydrosols and add one teaspoon to a cup of hot water or galactogenic herbal tea several times a day.
- Spray this hydrosol directly into the mouth after a heavy meal.
- As an eyewash, for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Precautions for use/contraindications
- None known
Cosmetic
Cooking
- This hydrosol can be used to flavour your fish, vegetable and meat dishes, adding a light touch of aniseed.
Find out more
Wild bitter fennel (F. vulgare var. vulgare), which is rich in ketones, should not be confused with sweet fennel (F. vulgare var. dulce), which is the most commonly used.
Additional information
Habitat and botanical description
Fennel is a perennial plant that can reach a height of 1.5 to 2.5 metres. The stem is grooved and glossy. The green foliage can be slightly bluish. The yellow, aniseed-scented flowers are arranged in umbels and appear in August-September. The fruit consists of two achenes. It has a large fusiform root which is almost always bifid. It is grown for its bulbous, fleshy bulge of interlocking leaves, which are edible.
Mythology / History / Anecdotes and traditional virtues
Fennel grows naturally in the Mediterranean region. Its name comes from the Latin foeniculum, which means 'little hay', probably alluding to the fineness of its leaves. It was known very early in Asia and the Chinese and Indians also used the vegetable, and even more the aromatic and medicinal seeds. In ancient times it was cultivated by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and doctors of the time recommended it for its galactogenic virtues and to strengthen or even restore eyesight. In India and China, its seeds were used to treat scorpion stings and snake bites. A European tradition was to place a bunch of fennel over the door and a seed in the lock to ward off bad luck for the house and its inhabitants.