Dill is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is the only species in the genus Anethum. Fresh and dried dill leaves (sometimes called "dill weed" to distinguish it from dill seed) are widely used as herbs in Europe and central Asia.
Dill grows up to 40β60 cm (16β24 in), with slender hollow stems and alternate, finely divided, softly delicate leaves 10β20 cm (4β8 in) long. The ultimate leaf divisions are 1β2 mm (0.04β0.08 in) broad, slightly broader than the similar leaves of fennel, which are threadlike, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) broad, but harder in texture. The flowers are white to yellow, in small umbels 2β9 cm (0.8β3.5 in) diameter. The seeds are 4β5 mm (0.16β0.20 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) thick, and straight to slightly curved with a longitudinally ridged surface. Dill oil is extracted from the leaves, stems, and seeds of the plant. The oil from the seeds is distilled and used in the manufacturing of soaps.