Foeniculum vulgare

Fennel is an evergreen, herbaceous perennial, normally grown as an annual, with flowers and leaves that have a sweet, mildly anise or licorice flavor. The flowers bloom in  summer and are often used in egg and fish dishes. The aromatic seeds are also put to use in cakes and breads. It has an upright, branching habit and can grow 3 to 5 feet high with aromatic, yellow-green leaves and tiny yellow flowers. The flowers are very attractive to butterflies and fennel is a larval plant for certain swallowtail butterflies. The genus name comes from the Latin name for this potherb which, in Italian, is called finocchio. The species name means common.

Fennel is grown across a wide range of USDA hardiness zones and does best in moist, organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun. It will tolerate clay and sandy soils and, once established, drought. Fennel can be grown from seed sown directly in the garden in spring and it freely self-seeds in the garden. Fennel plants are know to have escaped gardens and naturalized. To prevent an unwanted spread of this plant through self-seeding, you should remove spent flowers and stems before seed is produced.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Stem and root rot can occur in poorly-drained soils and aphids and slugs can be a problem.

VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.