Though fennel is native to Europe, especially the Mediterranean region, it is today cultivated in many other parts of the world, including Asia, China, and North America. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a tall perennial herb. The leaves, bulb, and stalk of fennel look a lot like white celery and are edible. Its seeds are used as both a spice in cooking and in making herbal medicines. Fennel has a sweet licorice taste, and is widely used in Mediterranean cuisine.

Fennel seed has a fragrant odor and taste. It has been used for centuries and may be found growing wild in many parts of the world, especially dry limestone soils near the sea-coast and upon river-banks. Today it is cultivated in the south of France, Saxony, Galicia, and Russia for medicine, as well as in the far east.

Fennel has a thick bright green root-stock and stout stems. The four to five feet tall plant has a certain beauty about it. The branched leaves bring forth bright golden flowers that blossom in July and early August each having thirteen to twenty rays.

Some enjoy cooking the stems in soups or eating them raw in salads. Some say that eating the peeled stalks helps them sleep.

The presence of terpenoid anethole in fennel has made it famous for treating digestive ailments since the time of the ancient Egyptians. It has the ability to calm the gastrointestinal tract and relieve cramps. Often fennel is mixed with wormwood, peppermint, and caraway to treat heartburn, indigestion, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Fennel has been effective in treating women's health issues such as stimulating menstruation and milk production in nursing mothers, and treating hormonal imbalance related to PMS, menopause, and low libido. Fennel enhances the effects of estrogen in the system according to one study. It will relax the uterus, and promote natural breast enhancement.

Some have used fennel as a decongestant to loosen phlegm in the bronchial passages. Fennel tea is also effective in some to reduce a persistent cough. To make this tea, crush 1 to 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds into a cup of hot water.

Some believe that fennel has some diuretic effect, and may help reduce a problem with water retention. Fennel for some reduces the appetite and is therefore effective in weight loss.

You can purchase fennel in capsules, as an oil, as seeds, in a tincture, or as a liquid seed extract. Of course, you can also grow it yourself. If you do, don't plant it in the vicinity of tomatoes or caraway for this will hinder their production. Use 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of the seeds, 2 to 12 drops of the oil, or .5 teaspoons of the liquid daily.

Isolated cases of allergic and asthmatic reactions to fennel have been reported. It should not be used by small children or over a long period of time by anyone. Also pregnant or lactating women should avoid fennel.