Anethum graveolens Seeds | Fernleaf Dill

Categories：Herb

Fernleaf Dill seeds (Anethum graveolens)

LATIN NAME: Anethum graveolens

COMMON NAME: Fernleaf Dill

Plant Profile

Anethum graveolens, better known as Fernleaf Dill, is a herb in the carrot family. Fernleaf dill is neat, dwarf, feathery herb of kitchen garden, one of great modern dills. Plant is an All-America winner and finest of dwarf dills for pot and small garden, and fine leaves carry classic, clean dill scent in a very good measure. It is a plant of open, sunny, well-drained ground. Its flowers draw a steady traffic of bees and other beneficial insects. For the small amount of care it requires, the return is remarkable.

Science & Biotechnology

Botanists studying the carrot family regularly include Anethum graveolens in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. Fernleaf dill is a steady presence in work on the very fine, thread-like leaves and the flat, oval, aromatic seeds. Interest from collectors and breeders has never lapsed, and good seed continues to circulate.

Uses & Benefits

Fernleaf Dill works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Fernleaf dill is worth its place in garden and the kitchen. Fine, thread-like leaves are a classic of fish dishes, pickles, salads and potato cooking, and flat, oval, aromatic seeds carry their own old record of use in breads, cheeses and the pickling. Low, compact plant is an All-America winner and a fine, easy choice for pot, window box and small garden, standing well through summer without falling over. Mature plants need little attention in a well-chosen position.

Dill has been a digestive herb since ancient Egypt: the seed tea is a traditional European remedy for infant colic and adult indigestion alike. Its essential oil, rich in carvone, shows antispasmodic activity that fits the folk record.

Growing from Seed

Sow fresh seed of Fernleaf Dill under ordinary good conditions. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.

Our Take

Among the Anethum group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Careful watering early on is rewarded by toughness at maturity.

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