Foeniculum vulgare
Fennel , Foeniculum vulgare , is an aromatic Mediterranean herbaceous plant in the Apiaceae ( Umbellifer ) family line that admit carrot , celery , Anethum graveolens , and Petroselinum crispum .
The edible yellow blossoms , seeds , feathery leaves , pollen , root , and stems have long been jimmy for their rich , aniseed - comparable fragrancy and flavor , and their utility as element in cooking , sorcerous potion , and traditional medicine .
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The parsley worm, or swallowtail butterfly caterpillar. Photo by Nan Schiller.
Thevulgarespecies is the sole member of theFoeniculumgenus .
Within it , there are numerous subspecies and cultivated varieties , such as common fennel , F. vulgaressp.vulgare , and electric light - forming Florence fennel , F. vulgarevar.azoricum .
F. vulgareis a prolific self - sower , so much so that the common variety has naturalise to the point of being encroaching throughout California and the West .
The parsley worm, or swallowtail butterfly caterpillar. Photo by Nan Schiller.
If you maturate the uncouth type , you could prevent its spreading by removing peak heads before they function to seminal fluid .
The Florence variety is usually reap before the flowers farm , so it is less likely to ego - sow .
In this article , I will cut across how to cultivate and harvest both unwashed and Florence finocchio in your garden .
What You’ll Learn
call up to confer with your local agricultural extension service before summate finocchio toyour herb garden .
And please mark :
It is potential to be allergic toF. vulgare . Per the Mayo Clinic’spatient health care on food allergies imagination , if you are allergic to birch rod or mugwort pollen , and suffer from “ oral allergy syndrome , ” you may react adversely to fennel economic consumption .
In gain , if you have known solid food allergic reaction , in particular to peach tree , you may be unable to consume any part of this herb safely .
And finally , some people may experience cutis irritation from forcible contact lens with this plant .
Cultivation and History
F. vulgarehas upright , branching ontogenesis , fine feathered fleeceable leaves , and yellow flower in flatten “ umbels , ” resemble those of otherApiaceae familymembers .
There are two race ofF. vulgare :
These are wild works that grow pronto along hardscrabble coast and roadsides .
The distinguishing characteristics are that the first has short leave of absence and very sulphurous fruit ( seeds ) , and the 2d has longer foliation and a somewhat less bitter flavor .
Within the less bittercapillaceumsubspecies are three variety show :
Thevulgarevariety , as note , is vernacular fennel , aka sweet or baseless fennel . Some have green leave-taking , while bronze type have foliation with a smoky purplish cast .
The bronze - leafed one are better suitable to garden cultivation than their more aggressive dotty ascendant .
Thedulcetype has even sweeter source that offer the estimable flavor when pressed to extract their aromatic substantive oils .
And finally , there’sF. vulgarevar.azoricum , aka Florence fennel , uprise for its sharp , celery - like bulb bursting with anise - like tone .
In my family , this veggie has always been a holiday treat fuck by its Italian name , “ Florence fennel . ”
F. vulgarevarieties are cool - weather crops that perform well when planted in either former natural spring , or late summertime to fall . It takes 60 to 90 days for them to maturate .
The common eccentric is a ego - sow in biennial or short - lived perennial inUSDA Hardiness Zones5 to 9 . Sometimes it can be successfully cultivated in Zones 4 and 10 , as well .
It in general make a fledged top of three to five feet , but may grow as tall as six metrical unit , like its wild predecessor .
efflorescence bloom in mid to late summertime .
The Florence ( bulb ) mixture is also a biennial or short - lived perennial that is commonly develop as an yearly in geographical zone 5 to 9 .
It maturate to a shorter height of two to three foot .
If the bulbs are reap unseasoned , at about four inches across , the plants usually do n’t flower , and no come form . With a late harvest time , or no harvest , flowers may bloom in late summertime and ego - sowing may occur .
With origination in the Mediterranean part of Europe , fennel has been a culinary , medicative , and charming arts staple for millennia across Europe , as well as Egypt , China , and India .
It launch a welcome place in the kitchen , where the stems , leaves , and fruit were used in recipe to mask pathetic quality food with the pleasant aroma transude by its aromatic compounds .
Throughout the Middle Ages , traditional practitioner believe it was capable of cure ailments browse from anti - incendiary to GI and pulmonary problems .
In superstitious lot , the simple presence of the herb was thought to guard off evil purport and render witches ’ spells unable .
By the 1700s , the conversant herb was relegate asF. vulgareMill , after English phytologist and nurseryman Phillip Miller .
However , by the 1800s , French critic , novelist , and journalist Jean - Baptiste Alphonse Karr decried the herb in hisA Tour Round My Garden , in which he stated in his section on Florence fennel , “ At the end of three or four hundred years it was discovered that this had never cured anybody . ”
Be that as it may , his fellow countrymen of the nineteenth 100 had no qualm about consuming it in their favourite fleeceable philosopher’s stone , absinthe .
In modern times , India has taken the leash worldwide in commercial Florence fennel production , and source are pronto available for home garden planting .
allow ’s learn to grow our own !
Propagation
The best way to growF. vulgarevarieties is from seed .
It is potential , but challenging , to start with a ascendant cutting , or division of the crown , the part where the stems meet the roots .
However , these plants have long , fragile taproots and do n’t handle hurly burly well . So , while you may be able to take a cutting or make a division , it may not transplant successfully .
Unlike some fruiting plant , the seed of fennel and its yield are one and the same , so the wrangle are used interchangeably .
common fennel seeds can be harvested from plants after the flowers slice , or purchase from quality purveyor .
How to Grow
If you want to grow finocchio in the spring , it ’s dependable tostart seeds indoorsfour to six weeks before the last rime date for your part .
Remember , this is acool - weather craw . If it get too hot or dry , it may bolt , or run to seed .
Also , because of the erratic taproot , it ’s saucy to employ germ starter cells that biodegrade , and transplant them in their entirety to the garden after the peril of frost has snuff it .
Alternatively , you’re able to direct sow seeds into the garden in previous summertime or other fall , after the worst of the summer heat is over .
It is a normally held notion that Florence fennel does n’t get along well with other herbaceous plants , especially those in the Apiaceae mob . Do n’t inseminate it in secretive law of proximity , to stave off hybridization - pollination and inauspicious gist on flavor .
opt a positioning that receivesfull sunlight . The grease should be organically robust , well - draining , idle loam . According to theHerb Society of America , the idealistic soil pH is somewhere in the ambit of 4.8 to 8.2 .
If you do n’t know the physical composition or pH of the earthly concern in your garden , transmit a dirt testthrough your local agricultural elongation service , and remedy as needed withcompostor other rich organic affair , sand for better drainage , andlime to sweeten excessively acidic ground .
Work the dirt until it ’s crumbly , to a deepness of about 12 inch . append amendment as needed .
Sow seeds a fourth of an column inch deep and cover them over with stain .
localise the seed about four to six column inch aside , and allow a walkable 12 to 18 inch between run-in , if you are aggregative planting .
Keep the stain moist during the germination and seedling phases .
However , deflect soggy land , as it makes seedlings prostrate to a fatal fungal condition call “ damping off , ” which causes them to fall over and die .
When seedlings have two sets of unfeigned leave , you may thin them to a distance of 12 to 18 inches apart .
Transfer cum started indoors to the garden at this time . countenance them acclimatize to the open air by stay in their seed appetizer pots for a day or two to harden off before transplanting into the garden .
Continue to water vernal plants regularly but avoid oversaturation and pooling of water to prevent rot .
Aninch or two of rainper hebdomad , or tantamount watering , is commonly fair to middling , although there may be occasion that justify more .
Bulb motley are less able to handle ironical magical spell than coarse types . They are also susceptible to “ tip burn , ” a condition in which insufficient watering may suppress calcium intake and get the edges of the layers to wrick dark-brown .
Avert trouble with right tearing and harvesting when the bulbs are young and about tennis ball size , as opposed to older and larger .
You may fertilize Florence plants when the bulb bug out to constitute .
Ken Adams and Dan Drost of theUtah University Extensionrecommend using three tablespoonful of a 21 - 0 - 0 ( NPK ) fertilizer for every 10 feet of rows engraft . Nitrogen is indispensable for the foliar growth ofF. vulgarevarieties .
Do not lend oneself plant food before plant are well established . Seedlings that receive too much N may be at increased peril for damping off .
CommonF. vulgareblooms near the close of its growing season . If you do n’t need it to drop germ , you may foreshorten the flowers off and remove them before they begin to pass off .
In plus to its note value as an pabulum , it provides an attractive , texturally - rich backdrop in the garden , particularly when it ’s a bronze variety .
If you are growing Florence eccentric you’re able to keep the bulbs snowy ashen by mounding grunge or mulch up around them when the veggie first start out to swell .
This technique is called “ parboil , ” and cater security from browning in the sun .
add up mulch over the top of the light bulb - comparable roots of the Florence varieties ensure that they remain white and more substantial in culinary endeavors .
When bulbs are reap young , at no more than four inches across , there may be no flower bud development at all .
If there is , you could trim the remnant off the foliage to foreclose bud geological formation , seed drop , and potentially invasive ontogeny .
you could also try develop fennel incontainers on a patioor balcony . Two thing to recollect are :
In both containers and the garden , plants may require support . A few bamboo garden stakes and some string can provide the needed stability .
If you ’re growing commonF. vulgare , you could prune it down by one - third in other summer for a more compact shape .
Note that in orbit where summertime heats up quickly , you may be better off planting in mid to tardy summer for a tumble crop .
If you should have a particularly warm enchantment , plant may “ bolt ” or suddenly go to germ , do matureness to come to a grinding stoppage . leafage and blossoms may be usable , but immature bulbs will probably be a loss .
And finally , weed the garden on a regular basis to come down competition for H2O , deter pests , and inhibit moisture buildup that can lead to disease , especially of a fungous nature .
Growing Tips
Whether you grow rough-cut or FlorenceF. vulgare , remember these steer for success :
Next , let ’s look at some cultivars to try out in the garden .
Cultivars to Select
When selecting seeds , deal with reputable purveyor , and choose those that have been bred with exceptional qualities .
Here are several to consider :
Bronze
Even without the vegetable , this bronze potpourri is a beautiful summation to the herbaceous plant garden .
Enjoy bronze leaf in spring that shades to green during the grow season . Pick and chop for bracing herbs as needed .
chicken blooms make saporous garnish and can be dried to collect the redolent seeds within .
plant ripen in about 65 Day at heights of approximately four feet .
feel bronze Florence fennel seed from True Leaf Marketin a variety of packet sizes .
Florence
For crunchy bulb that are piquant fresh as well as cook , you ca n’t beat the Florence diverseness .
Plants top out at a towering 30 inches in 60 to 90 days .
Do n’t forget to blanch the snowy bulbs with soil or mulch to keep them from browning in the Sunday .
feel packet of 400 Florence seedsavailable from Burpee .
Orion
At 24 inches tall , this hybrid is one of the more stocky bulb salmagundi , appreciated for being less long-legged than tall cultivars .
‘ Hunter ’
It ’s been breed for outstanding bakshish - tan resistance , and wo n’t disappoint .
Plants mature in 80 to 85 days .
incur packets of 100 ‘ Orion ’ seedsavailable at Burpee .
Managing Pests and Disease
When you start with quality seed , school during cool weather , provide rich ground that drains well , do n’t overwater , and keep the garden free of weeds , pests and disease event should be minimal .
However , sometimes even with the best intentions , we have to postulate with herbivores , insect pests , and diseases often borne by these pests .
You may find that hare take quite an interest in your plants , butdeerand groundhogs do n’t seem to care for its smell .
Some gadfly to be aware of are :
To eradicate cosh - suck in aphid and thrips , a hard stream ofwater from the hosemay do the trick . An software of organic neem oil may be a good treatment for large irruption .
For biff and snail , you may fix traps and then discard those you catch .
As for the swallowtail butterfly caterpillar , you may have mixed feelings . It ’s likely to feast on the aphids , but it is also live to feast on the foliation .
If you settle you just ca n’t apportion , either find fault them off by hired hand , or try sum a few attractions to the yard likea bird feederoran inviting birdbath , and let avian visitant help keep them in impediment .
In addition , there are a few disease that may present themselves , include :
We ’ve already talked about damping off , a fungal disease that kills seedlings , and for which there is no cure .
These are primarily fungal shape , with the exception of downlike mildew , which is because of a water system cast called an oomycete .
All affect the leaf , causing discoloration and often deformity . They are potential to answer favorably to fungicides formulate for edible plant .
Another disease I lately learned about , called “ trivial leaf , ” wasdocumented in India in 2002 .
It is likely do by a bacterium called a phytoplasma , and have hag ’ broom - like flyspeck leaf growth of the foliage , as well as yellowing . It does not seem to be prosaic at this time .
The reason it catch my eye is because while there ’s a phytoplasma commonly calledaster yellowsthat stimulate these symptom , there ’s also a viral condition calledrose rosette diseasewith the same word of advice augury that is know to be a killer of rose bushes .
In brightness of this possibility , I recommendnottaking the advice of some gardeners who suggest planting fennel beside rose Vannevar Bush so the swallow-tailed coat cat can eat the aphids that often plague them .
Now that we roll in the hay about cultivation and anticipating issues , allow ’s peach about harvesting the fruit of our project .
Harvesting
you could pick the tender young shoots of common varieties to relish astasty microgreens , while mature folio are exceeding when chop exquisitely as a fresh herb .
Even the root word can be used , like tough Apium graveolens dulce , in behind - cook mantrap .
When harvesting , try out not to take more than one - third of the entire flora at once to avoid ball over it into bolt , or prematurely running to seed .
you may also reap the flowers to use fresh , or to dry and scrape off the pollen , which has the most vivid anise - type flavor of all .
Collect the seeds when they ’re green , just after the seedpod kind , or await until the seedcase deform brown and the seeds are juiceless .
For Florence varieties , conglomerate the electric-light bulb when they are about the size of it of a tennis ball , or at most , four inch across .
slit each off at ground level with a clean tongue , and slice up the elongate stem turn and profuseness of leaves off at about three to six inches above the medulla oblongata . All section can be used !
When they ’re glean young , these plants are finished . There will be no flowers , and therefore no seeds .
If you are growing this type and desire flowers and seeds , just grant some of the bulbs to get larger , and before long heyday buds will spring , bloom of youth , and congeal yield .
Plants may be able to tolerate a light frost , but if there ’s a hard freeze augur , glean what you’re able to in a precipitation , include poke up the roots to utilize as you would carrots , if you ’re so prepared .
Storing and Preserving
To salt away Florence fennel , curve the long stubble off , leaving about two inches above each medulla oblongata .
I care to slit the bulbs of Florence type in sections about an inch wooden-headed , and store them covered in water in an airtight container in the fridge .
Each morning I alter the water and they last for up to five days , before turn chocolate-brown and getting soft .
you may also store whole electric-light bulb in the electric refrigerator for three to five days , or up to a hebdomad and a half if you place a moist paper towel over them .
As for cut foliation , it ’s quite ticklish , and goes wilted quickly . Plan to use it the same day you clean it . Keep it ready by cut stalks and set them in a container of urine until want .
Snip off the feathery foliage you desire for use in salad and as fragrant garnishes , or throw out it into savory cooked dishes as you would with dill .
The stalks can be a little tough , so they ’re good in cooked dishes . Some folks dry out them in a low oven at about 200 ° atomic number 9 , for two hours or so .
Fresh , they keep for up to two weeks in the electric refrigerator , and are a healthy addition to slow - cooked soups and stews .
Green fennel seeds should be keep in the fridge and consumed within a week of picking .
Pollen scraped and gathered from ironic flowers lay aside well in a sealed jar for approximately two years .
juiceless seed should persist full-bodied and redolent for several geezerhood when store in an airtight shock . Keep them ready to hand to use as a spicery , or to jaw a few as a digestive aid and breath freshener .
notice even more entropy about storing and using fennelon our sister situation , Foodal .
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
From bloom , foliage , and pollen , to bulbs , cum , roots , and the extraction of essential vegetable oil , F. vulgarevarieties provide much to the abode cook .
And , the redolent all-important oil colour released from the chemical chemical compound , include anethole and fenchole , do indeed own anti - inflammatory and anti - bacterial property , and advance digestion , just as the antediluvian believed .
Here are some of my favorite formula you ’re certain to enjoy that call for this stellar herb :
If you ’ve never like brussels sprouts , then you have n’t tried them al dente , cooked with 1st Baron Verulam , and flavour with the taste of finocchio and fresh dill .
Besides the unbelievable flavor , the fat from the Roger Bacon set aside fat - soluble nutrients to absorb more easily into the body .
Check out therecipe now on Foodal .
Are you looking for an prosperous , no - cook sauce to make a agile crostini or bruschetta ?
Try this tasty formula for balsamic tomato and fresh fennel sauce , prepared with brisk fennel andcherry tomatoes , also on Foodal .
you could also serve this tasty sauce on top of alimentary paste , spiralized veggies , or anything you would commonly help with marinara .
Do you bed a right healthy tea ?
This Florence fennel nettle iced tea leaf blendfrom Foodalis naturally sweet and has powerful natural benefit . It ’s a reconstruct take on an ubiquitous beverage , with unequalled sapidity .
And for more inhalation on using fennel in your culinary institution , check out Foodalfor more recipe .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
All-In-One Flavor and Versatility
Now you have the low - down on fennel varieties . If you love the crush of celery , and thelicorice - like flavor of anise , this herbaceous plant is going to be the new ace in your garden and on your table .
With rich territory that drain well , and timely planting in cool conditions , you’re able to bask both common and Florence fennel types in your garden .
It may not be the good garden companion , but that ’s just because it require to keep its amazing look all to itself .
Add fennel toyour garden planner today , and make way for your raw favourite herbaceous plant , spiciness , and vegetable all rolled into one !
If you ’re a fan ofgrowing herbs , check out some of our other growing guide next :
photograph by Nan Schiller © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more particular . to begin with published February 22 , 2019 . Last updated March 11 , 2021 . production photos via Burpee and True Leaf Market . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Nan Schiller
