Latin (botanical) name: Foeniculum vulgare

Common names: Fenkel, Sweet Fennel, Wild Fennel Plant

Description: Fennel is a hardy perennial which grows wild in most temperate areas in Europe, and indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean. It is also cultivated in India, China, France, Russia, Persia, and Egypt. Fennel prefers to grow on bare ground in coastal areas. An umbelliferous herb, Fennel is a beautiful plant with thick, perennial root-stock, stout, erect and cylindrical stems that bright green and smooth as polished glass. The stems are vertically-grooved and branched and smell of aniseed when crushed. Fennel has feathery leaves, and the bright yellow flowers, blooming from July to September, occur in four to 30 simple umbels in a compound umbel. The fruits are ovoid-oblong and ridged. The plant grows to 4-5 feet or more in height.

Use: Make a tea by pouring approximately 2 cups of boiling water over 2 heaped tsp of herb. Let steep for 3-5 minutes. In general, sip a cup before breakfast, and another 2 hours after dinner

Cautions & Interactions: Keep out of reach of children.