common fumitory

plant

Also known as: Fumaria officinalis, drug fumitory

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

Fumitory, belonging to the genus Fumaria within the poppy family (Papaveraceae), encompasses about 60 species of annual plants native to Eurasia and Africa. These plants have also been introduced to Australia and the Americas.1

A well-known species is the common fumitory (Fumaria officinalis), a climbing plant that can grow up to 90 cm (3 feet) tall. It features delicate, lacy leaves and spikelike arrangements of white or pinkish tubular flowers. Originally from Europe and Asia, it has naturalized in parts of North America. Historically, it was used in herbal medicine and as a cosmetic in Great Britain. The term "fumewort" is also used as a synonym for fumitory.12

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fumitory
Common, or drug, fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) is a 90-cm- (3-foot-) tall climbing plant with lacy leaves and spikelike sprays of white or pinkish tubular flowers. The plant is native to Europe and Asia and has naturalized in parts of North America, having escaped cultivation. Once regarded as a medicinal…
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Common, or drug, fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) is a 90-cm- (3-foot-) tall climbing plant with lacy leaves and spikelike sprays of white or pinkish tubular flowers. The plant is native to Europe and Asia and has naturalized in parts of North America, having escaped cultivation. Once regarded as a medicinal…
Read More