It is the sole species of the genus Anethum.
It is 40–60 cm, with slender stems and alternate, finely divided, with softly delicate leaves 10–20 cm long.
The flowers are white to yellow, in small umbels 2–9 cm diameter.
The seeds are 4–5 mm long and 1 mm thick and straight to slightly curved with a longitudinally ridged surface.
Fresh and dried dill leaves are used as herbs, mainly in the Baltic, in Russia, and in central Asia.
Its fernlike leaves are aromatic and are used to flavor many food, soups and pickles.
Dill is best when used fresh, as it loses its flavor rapidly if dried; however, freeze-dried dill leaves preserve their flavor relatively well for a few months.
Dill seed is used as a spice, with a flavor somewhat similar to caraway but also resembling that of fresh or dried dill weed.
Dill seeds were traditionally used to soothe the stomach after meals.