Botanical Name: Anethum graveolens | Family: Umbelliferae
Common name(s): Dill
GROWING
- Annual; herbaceous | 2-3 feet tall | Feathery leaves, yellow umbel flowers, seeds in late summer
- Full sun | Well-drained, moderately rich soil | Regular watering, allowing soil to dry between waterings
HARVESTING
Harvest seeds in late summer, leaves throughout the growing season.
PREPARATION / DOSAGE
Infusion: Gently crush seeds just before use. Pour 1 cup of water over 1-2 tsp seeds and/or leaves and let infuse for 10-15 minutes. Drink a cup 1/2 hour before meals for flatulence. For children, give a teaspoon of the tea.
Tincture: 1-2ml, 3x/day
MEDICAL
Constituents: Essential oil, fatty acids, some acids
Actions: Aromatic, antispasmodic, calmative, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactagogue, stomachic
Uses: Bad breath (chew the seeds); colic (herb of choice for children); flatulence; colds, flus, and coughs (using the root); increasing milk production
CHARACTERISTICS
- Spicy, warm
SOURCES
- The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra
- Holistic Herbal, David Hoffman
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Andrew Chevallier
- Herbgardening.com
- photo credit: John and Anni Dill via photopin (license)
I learned, sometime in the past, that you shouldn’t grow dill and fennel near each other because they will cross-breed. So I keep my dill up on the porch in a pot and my fennel in the garden.
