Are you as in love with those feathery fragrant fronds as I am?! Fennel captures the heart and is an amazing herb in the garden, the kitchen, and the apothecary. Here, I'll share a few tidbits from my 30-years experience as a gardener and medical herbalist, featuring fennel as the star.

Fennel, or Foeniculum vulgare, is in the carrot family, closely related to the parsley family, though the taste is completely different. It's the leaves that give away its parentage, but otherwise we use it in vastly different ways. For instance, fennel's bulb is often sliced and sauteed in the kitchen for a variety of Mediterranean dishes. Its leaves are added to salads and sprinkled on meat, and its seeds are chewed as a breath-freshener and appetite-starter.

But its fame is not relegated to the kitchen. Fennel is medicinal, containing a lovely volatile oil called anethole. This gives it an aroma and flavor similar to anise and licorice. It's leaves and seeds are just sweet enough to be candied and just savory enough to be added to meats and main dishes.

Fennel as a Digestive Aid

I like to use fennel in teas and it was a star when I ran my herbal apothecary, a key ingredient in the popular loose-leaf tea blend Squibnocket Soother. In this popular blend, I combined fennel with spearmint, licorice, catnip, lavender, and other aromatic and digestive herbs, plus a tiny bit of stevia. Because of its Herbal Action as an aromatic and carminative, I use fennel for its beneficial effects in all digestive issues, from gas and bloating to constipation to issues brought on by stress and anxiety. 

Even heartburn can ease when using fennel fronds or seeds. Because it supports healthy digestion, fennel can have an indirect positive effect in heart and weight issues (such as heartburn), though the effect is mild.

To learn more about Herbal Actions, enroll in my course here.

Fennel as a Respiratory Aid

I like to include fennel in my cough syrups. While the stars are usually pleurisy root, ginger, and elderberry, all of which are wonderful anti-tussive (or cough) medicines, fennel is a fantastic addition as it serves as a mild stimulant or expectorant (another herbal action).

Consider crushing fresh or dried fennel seeds and leaves (as well as those hollow juicy stalks or stems!!) when adding fennel to a tincture with elderberry for lung congestion and cough. Add them to alcohol tinctures, vinegar tinctures, honeys and oxymels, and to tea blends. Some herbalists like to add elecampane, which is a great herb for suppressing the cough. I find fennel works well in blends where you want BOTH the expectorant and the suppressant.

Fennel for Breastfeeding

Finally, I recommend drinking fennel teas and chewing fennel seeds to support breastmilk production. This safe herb is a gentle way to increase the quality and quantity of breastmilk for nursing mothers. Adding the stalks and fronds to foods is wonderful, but to really get the benefit of this galactagogue herb (another action!), sip the hot tea made from fronds and/or seeds frequently throughout the day. It appears that prolactin levels in the breastfeeding mothers are increased due to fennel seed consumption.

And wonderful breastfeeding bonus! New mothers can also drink the tea if their baby is experiencing gas or colic, as the benefits of the herbs will be absorbed into the breastmilk and passed onto the baby.

Another galactagogue herb is fenugreek, while nutritious herbs for breastfeeding mothers include nettle and alfalfa.

For more information on growing and using fennel, purchase Llewellyn's Little Book of Herbs here or for more in-depth formula-making and apothecary guidance, purchase An Herbalist's Guide to Formulary here.

To learn more (and really dive in) to herbal medicine study, here. This course provides a very practical basis for everything you need to know about herbal medicine, with an emphasis on actions (categories) and major body systems. The course features and prioritizes 33 common herbs and covers more than 100 more, so that you complete the course with a thorough understanding of how to use herbs to support the natural health of yourself, your family, and your community.