# Plant Monograph: Celery
**Name of plant:**
Celery
**Catch phrase (Carmina Gadelica or traditional invocation if available):**
**“Green herb of the garden, cleanse, strengthen and refresh the body.”**
No specific Carmina Gadelica invocation for celery has been identified. Celery has, however, a long history in Mediterranean foodways and classical herbal medicine.
**Family:**
Apiaceae
**Genus and species:**
*Apium graveolens* L.
**Other names:**
* Celery
* Wild celery
* Smallage — referring particularly to the wild form
* Marshwort
* Garden celery
* Celery seed
* *Apium graveolens*
* Latin: *Apium*
* Greek: *selinon*
* French: céleri
**Brief introduction:**
Celery is a biennial aromatic plant native to Europe, western Asia and parts of the Mediterranean region. The cultivated plant is valued primarily for its crisp leaf stalks, while the seeds and leaves have a longer history of medicinal and culinary use.
Wild celery and related forms were known in ancient Mediterranean cultures, where the plant was associated with food, medicine and ceremonial traditions. Celery seed is particularly valued in traditional herbalism as an aromatic, diuretic and digestive herb.
The plant contains volatile oils and a variety of flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Modern nutritional research has also examined celery for potential effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular health.
**Traditional uses:**
* Used as a diuretic to encourage urinary flow.
* Traditionally employed for digestive discomfort, gas and poor appetite.
* Celery seed was used traditionally for joint and rheumatic complaints.
* Used historically for urinary and “water-retention” complaints.
* Fresh leaves and stalks were consumed as a nutritious food and aromatic vegetable.
**Historical use:**
* Wild celery was known to ancient Egyptians and Mediterranean peoples.
* The Greeks and Romans used celery both as food and medicinally.
* Classical traditions associated celery with athletic and funerary practices as well as culinary use.
* Medieval European herbal medicine employed celery and celery seed for urinary and digestive complaints.
* Celery seed became established in European herbal practice as an aromatic diuretic and remedy for rheumatic discomfort.
**Parts used and method of use:**
* Leaf stalks and leaves.
* Seeds and dried fruits.
Used as:
* Fresh vegetable or juice.
* Infusion of celery seed.
* Powdered or whole celery seed used as a culinary or herbal preparation.
* Tincture or liquid extract of the seed.
**Use in healing (modern herbal practice):**
* Traditionally used as a mild diuretic.
* Used in traditional herbal practice for digestive complaints and flatulence.
* Celery seed preparations have been used traditionally for rheumatic and arthritic discomfort.
* Investigated for possible blood-pressure-lowering effects.
* Investigated for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Evidence for celery as a food is substantially stronger than evidence supporting concentrated celery preparations as treatments for disease.
**Pharmacology and biochemistry:**
* **3-n-butylphthalide (3-n-BP)** — a characteristic celery phthalide associated with cardiovascular and neurological research.
* **Apigenin and luteolin** — flavonoids with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
* **Apiol and related volatile constituents** — aromatic compounds concentrated particularly in celery seed.
Mechanisms:
* Celery phthalides may influence vascular smooth-muscle tone and nitric-oxide-related pathways.
* Flavonoids such as apigenin and luteolin demonstrate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in experimental systems.
* Volatile seed constituents may contribute to the plant's traditional carminative and diuretic effects.
**Overall profile:**
Celery is primarily a **nutritive food plant with a long history of medicinal use**, particularly involving the urinary system, digestion and rheumatic complaints. Celery seed is pharmacologically more concentrated than the vegetable and therefore carries greater safety considerations. Research into cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory effects is promising but does not establish celery as a replacement for conventional treatment.
**Common dosage:**
* **Fresh celery:** culinary quantities as tolerated.
* **Celery-seed infusion:** approximately 1–3 g crushed seed per cup of hot water, traditionally taken up to several times daily.
* **Celery-seed powder:** approximately 1–3 g daily in traditional herbal preparations.
* **Celery-seed tincture/extract:** follow the concentration and dosage specified by the standardized preparation.
**Safety factors (including side effects):**
* Celery is a recognized food allergen and can cause severe allergic reactions in susceptible individuals.
* Concentrated celery seed may cause gastrointestinal irritation or increased urination.
* Medicinal celery-seed preparations should be avoided during pregnancy because concentrated celery constituents, particularly apiol, have historically been associated with uterine stimulation.
* People with kidney disease or conditions requiring fluid restriction should use medicinal diuretic preparations only with professional guidance.
* Large medicinal doses of celery seed should not be confused with ordinary dietary consumption.
**First aid / adverse reaction response:**
* **Mild digestive upset:** discontinue concentrated preparations and monitor symptoms.
* **Skin irritation or photosensitivity:** discontinue use and protect affected skin from sunlight.
* **Allergic symptoms such as itching or hives:** discontinue immediately and seek medical advice.
* **Facial swelling, difficulty breathing or throat tightness:** seek emergency medical attention immediately.
* **Suspected excessive ingestion:** contact a poison-control centre or healthcare professional.
**Drug interactions:**
* Theoretical additive diuretic effects may occur with prescription diuretics.
* Celery may potentially contribute to blood-pressure lowering when combined with antihypertensive medication.
* Concentrated preparations may theoretically influence drugs affecting blood clotting.
* People taking prescription medicines for blood pressure, fluid balance or anticoagulation should consult a healthcare professional before using concentrated celery-seed preparations.
**Horticultural requirements:**
* **USDA / Canadian zone:** Generally grown as an annual; celery can be cultivated in approximately USDA zones 2–10 depending upon season and cultivar.
* **Soil pH:** Approximately 6.0–7.0.
* **Light requirements:** Full sun to partial shade.
* **Moisture:** High and consistent moisture; celery performs poorly under drought stress.
**Other notes (growth habit, harvest timing, etc.):**
* **Growth habit:** Biennial herb usually cultivated as an annual, forming a basal rosette of fleshy stalks and aromatic leaves.
* **Flowering/fruiting:** If allowed to overwinter, produces branching flower stalks bearing small white flowers followed by small aromatic fruits commonly called celery seeds.
* **Harvest timing:** Stalks are harvested before flowering; seeds are collected after the fruits mature and dry.
* **Habitat:** Wild forms occur in damp ground, marshes, coastal areas and disturbed habitats.
* **Propagation/cultivation notes:** Usually grown from seed. Seeds germinate slowly and benefit from warmth and consistent moisture. Celery is a heavy feeder and requires fertile soil and regular watering.
**Sampling of clinical reports / studies:**
* **Clinical evidence:** Small clinical studies and observational research have investigated celery preparations for blood pressure and metabolic parameters, but evidence remains insufficient to establish therapeutic efficacy.
* **Pharmacological study:** Celery phthalides and flavonoids have demonstrated vascular, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in experimental models.
* **Phytochemical study:** Celery contains phthalides, flavonoids, volatile oils, apiol, coumarins and other phenolic compounds.
* **Ethnobotanical evidence:** Ancient Greek, Roman and European herbal traditions document celery and celery seed as foods, digestive herbs and diuretics.
* **Overall assessment of evidence:** **Strong nutritional and historical evidence, with substantial pharmacological research but limited high-quality clinical evidence for medicinal claims. Celery is best regarded as a food plant with traditional medicinal applications, while concentrated seed preparations require greater caution.**
Educational Use Only: The information presented on this page is provided for educational, historical, and informational purposes only. ArdNemeton na Tuatha and Bhùth Draoi do not provide medical advice. Always consult your physician and pharmacist before using any herb, mushroom, supplement, or botanical product for medicinal purposes. Traditional uses described herein do not constitute medical claims.