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Ferula assa-foetida

Common name: Asafoetida Family: Umbelliferae
Author: L. Botanical references: 74, 200
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: None known
Range: W. Asia - Afghanistan to Iran.
Habitat: Deserts[74].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 3Medicinal Rating (1-5):3

Other Possible Synonyms:From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
F. asafoetida[H,HPIC,HORTIPLEX] F. assafoetida[E,H] F. foetida[H,P]
Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Asafetida [P,H], Asafoetida [H], Devil's Dung [H], Food Of The Gods [H], Hing [H], Seytantersi [E], Silphion [E],
Epithets:From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
foetida = unpleasantly scented;
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Apiales. Renamed to Apiaceae -- Carrot family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
China; Greece; India; India(Santal); Turkey

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 2m by 1.5m . It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower in July. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Condiment; Leaves; Root.

Leaves and young shoots - cooked as a vegetable[2, 4, 177, 183]. The plant has a foetid odour, but this disappears when it is boiled[2]. The cabbage-like folded heads are eaten raw as a delicacy[183].
Root - cooked[2, 4]. It needs to be steeped in order to remove a bitterness[74]. A starch extracted from the roots is used to make a porridge[74].
A gum-resin from the root is used as a food flavouring[171]. It is an essential ingredient of Worcester sauce, it is also used to flavour a wide range of dishes and drinks[183]. It is popular in natural food cuisine as a garlic substitute[183]. The resin obtained from this plant is probably the foulest-smelling of all herbs, with a sulphurous garlic-like odour[7, 238]. It is so nauseating to some people that it has been nicknamed 'dung of the devil'[7]. However, in judicious quantities it gives a surprisingly pleasant flavour to many foods[238].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Alterative; Antiperiodic; Antispasmodic; Cardiotonic; Carminative; Deobstruent; Deodorant; Expectorant; Laxative; Parasiticide; Sedative; Stimulant; Tonic.

Asafoetida is a very effective medicinal herb that acts mainly on the digestive system, cleansing and strengthening the gastro-intestinal tract[238]. It is much used in the Ayurvedic tradition[238]. The gum-resin contains a volatile oil that is as persistent in aroma as garlic. They leave the body via the respiratory system and aid the coughing up of congested mucous[254].
The pungently flavoured gum-resin that is obtained from the root is alterative, anthelmintic, antiperiodic, antispasmodic, carminative, deobstruent, deodorant, expectorant, laxative, sedative and stomachic[7, 21, 176, 218]. It is used in the treatment of simple digestive problems such as wind, bloating, indigestion and constipation, and also for respiratory problems such as bronchitis, bronchial asthma and whooping cough[254]. It is also used as a circulatory stimulant, lowering blood pressure and thinning the blood[7, 21, 165, 176, 254]. The resin has a synergistic effect on other herbal preparations such as camphor, valerian and nux-vomica[7]. It is used in tincture as a mild cardio-tonic[7]. See below under 'Uses notes' for details on harvesting the resin.

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Essential; Gum.

A gum-resin is obtained from incisions in the roots and rhizomes[114]. The stem is removed at the end of the growing season, the root uncovered and a thin slice removed[74]. Another report says that the stem is removed as the plant starts to flower[238]. The gum exudes and hardens and a fresh slice is then made[74]. The gum should be stored in an air-tight container to prevent its strong flavour contaminating nearby substances[238]. The gum is a source of an essential oil which has medicinal properties and is also used as a food flavouring and in perfumery[46, 57, 61].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils[1]. Prefers a deep fertile soil in a sunny position[200].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[200].
Plants have a long taproot and are intolerant of root disturbance[200]. They should be planted into their final positions as soon as possible.
Monocarpic, the plant takes some years before it flowers and dies after flowering[74]. In Britain, the plants usually flower after about 5 years[238].
The whole plant, especially when bruised, has an unpleasant smell like stale fish[245].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as the seed is ripe in a greenhouse in autumn[1]. Otherwise sow in April in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Plant them out into their permanent positions whilst still small because the plants dislike root disturbance[1]. Give the plants a protective mulch for at least their first winter outdoors.
Division in autumn. This may be inadvisable due to the plants dislike of root disturbance.

Scent

Plant: Crushed
The whole plant, especially when bruised, has an unpleasant smell like stale fish.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

References for Ferula asafoetida (a possible synonym). References for Ferula assafoetida (a possible synonym). References for ferula asafoetida (a possible synonym).

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[114] Chakravarty. H. L. The Plant Wealth of Iraq.
It is surprising how many of these plants can be grown in Britain. A very readable book on the useful plants of Iraq.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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