Perhaps my first real introduction to the world of herbalism happened when I was 17 or so. I was experiencing this never-ending and seemingly unexplainable feeling of nausea nearly every day. At the time I was working at a health food store and mentioned my lingering discomfort to my co-worker, who just so happened to be a herbalist. She swiftly pulled out a little dropper bottle, had me open my mouth, and gave me some magic medicine like a mother bird feeding her baby. It was fennel. Within what seemed like mere minutes my stomach felt light and at ease. From that day on I kept a bottle of fennel tincture on me at all times. Seriously, I packed bottles with me when I backpacked around Europe and Asia, I kept a backup bottle stashed in my car, and would always make sure whatever purse I was using contained a vile of my magic potion. It was my desert island item, and I relied on it to ease my symptoms. After years of guzzling fennel tincture, I realized that I had outgrown my state of constant nausea, so my dependance on the medicine began to wane and I find myself today with not one bottle to my name. But every now and then I get that old familiar feeling, whether it be from anxiety or overeating, and I call on my dear friend, fennel, to do her thing.
Fennel, aka Foeniculum vulgare, is such a cool plant. When left to its own devices it can grow tall - see above photo! Don’t you just want to fall into that billowy green cloud and be held by the fronds? I do.
Humans have been using fennel medicinally, magically, and as food (we love a multipurpose plant) for ages. Fennel originated in the Mediterranean and has a long history of use by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. It’s a reoccurring guest in many Greek myths, like in the story of Prometheus where he uses a stalk of fennel to steal fire from the gods to give to the people. Ancient Greek physicians, Hippocrates and Dioscorides, both prescribed fennel for a variety of maladies ranging from indigestion to poor breast milk production. The Romans believed fennel to be a source of courage and strength, and had their soldiers eat the plant regularly. Fennel became a popular herb for eyesight thanks to Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, who observed snakes rubbing against the plant after shedding their skin and concluded that they were doing so to strengthen their vision. Ibn Sina echoed this claim in his Canon of Medicine, published nearly a millennium ago! Fennel is one of the nine sacred herbs listed in the 10th century Anglo-Saxon Nigon Wyrta Galdor, commonly known as the Nine Herbs Charm, a magic spell detailing plants that were believed to have been given to humans by Woden, the God of healing. Other notable sources have praised fennel, like herbalists Nicholas Culpeper and St. Hildegard von Bingen, who is said to have favoured fennel above all other herbs. I like this little quote from the Physicians of Myddfai in Wales that says “he who sees fennel and gathers it not, is not a man, but a devil”. What more needs to be said?
Long story short, we love fennel and always have, and due to this we have spread it around the world. It is so abundant and grows practically everywhere. It’s an important herb in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, and traditionally was used in South American cultures to increase breast milk in nursing mothers by making a drink from boiling the seeds in milk - yum! It was also believed to be capable of warding off evil spirits, and people would put fennel seeds in the keyholes of their doors for protection against ghosts.
We can glean a lot by looking back to the historical uses of fennel to better understand how to use it today. Fennel is a carminative, which means it is a warming herb that directly acts on the digestive system to ease bloating, gas, nausea, heartburn and so on. People have chewed on the seeds as an appetite suppressant, or a tool for weight loss throughout history, but modernly it is common in some cultures to chew on the seeds after a meal to help the body digest. Fennel has antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties, which, combined with its actions on the digestive system, make it great for more serious issues like IBS. It is also a galactagogue (I love saying this word lol), which means that it boosts the production of breast milk. Fennel is also an expectorant, so it’s great for coughs, and it’s an emmenagogue which means it can stimulate late menstruation and overall ease menstrual symptoms. I would suggest either making a tea from the crushed seeds, or taking fennel in the form of a tincture. You can also use it externally, like for irritated eyes, by using it as a wash or cool compress.
~this song gives me fennel vibes:~
Writing this has made me fall in love with fennel all over again. I love how versatile it is and I truly have never found a better aid for digestive issues than fennel. And what is really cool is that it’s also a delicious food!! The whole plant is edible. The little fronds make such a nice herbal addition to salads or pastas, and the bulb is soo yummy raw (also in salads!! Like with white beans!!) or cooked. My latest online crush, the beyond cute British chef turned farmer-influencer, Julius Roberts, shared a recipe for boiled potatoes and fennel that I made and loved. So simple and perfect. Check it (and him <3) out!
Let thy food be thy medicine. Alright friends, I wish I could gift you all a sweet fennel frond for reading my love letter to this plant. If you’re in Victoria go down to Dallas road, somewhere around where Linden connects, to see (& maybe taste?) some nice big fennel. I’m planning to harvest the seeds from my own fennel plants later this year to make a big batch of fennel tincture. Time to get back on the fennel horse, so to speak. Who’s with me?
Thanks for being here,
Anika