This European wild plant has a very delicious hearty flavour. In Germany, spignel mainly grows on alpine meadows in the low mountain range above a height of 400m, for example in the Black Forest or in the Erz Mountains, but can also be cultivated well. The plant has a long tradition in Scotland, where it's eaten as a root vegetable.
The delicate foliage serves as a spice when it's fresh and is well-suitable for drying. It can be used for cooking like lovage and releases its spicy flavour into soups and stews. The leaves, as well as the roots, have a hearty, aromatic taste.
In Bavaria, mainly in the Bavarian Forest, bitters, digestively effective herb liquors with spignel, are spread up to now. Often, lemon-balm is also used here. In folk medicine and herbology according to Hildegard von Bingen, the plant is of high significance. As a tea herb, it's said to promote lactation for breastfeeding mothers.
Seeds, content: Approx. 50 Spignel seeds
Hardy and perennial. Cold-germinator. Therefore, outdoor sowing is best in August/ September. Pre-culture also from January to March. Meum athamanticum loves sunny locations with meagre, permeable, but consistently moist soils.
Other names
| Botanical name: |
Meum athamanticum, M. nevadense, Aethusa tenuifolium, Athamanta meum, Carum meum |
| German names: |
Bärwurz, Barekümmel, Bärendill, Bärwurzel, Dillblattwurz |
