Fennel is one of St. Hildegard’s prized herbs. In her work, Physica, she wrote:

“Fennel has a mild heat and is of neither a dry nor cold nature… In whatever way it is eaten, it makes a person happy, and brings to him a gentle heat and good perspiration, and make his digestion good… Eating fennel or its seed everyday diminishes bad phlegm and decaying matter, keeps bad breath in check, and makes one’s eyes see clearly by its good heat and beneficial powers.” (39-41)

Hildegard continues to provide a number of ways to use fennel for healing (she felt it was particularly useful for the eyes, heart, lungs, and digestion). The health benefits of fennel are not limited to human use! She even describes its importance for use with sheep!

In her second work on natural medicine, Causes and Cures, there are several entries  recommending use for various ailments. For example, she prescribed using fennel (after it had been boiled in hot water) as a compress for women experiencing difficulty in childbirth or as a remedy for swollen testicles.

Fennel continues to be used today for digestion when taken as a tea or its seeds consumed following a meal.

We have a beautiful box of fennel growing right outside the back door of the Hildegard Haus shrine. The handful of seeds that grew into these fennel plants are from one of the fennel bushes at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens (maintained by the Western Reserve Herb Society). In our desire to honor the healing work of St. Hildegard, it has become one of our prized herbs as well.

In addition to the many health benefits of consuming fennel, it is a host plant for the swallowtail caterpillar. On occasion, we have seen as many as five caterpillars at once making their way through the fennel forest!