Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) has feathery leaves and an anise-like aroma, but not every fennel makes a vegetable “bulb.” Herb or sweet fennel is grown mainly for leaves and seed. Florence fennel varieties form a swollen cluster of leaf bases near the ground.
- Choose a cultivar for the part you want to harvest and check whether its days to maturity fit your season.
- Direct-sow in full sun and well-drained soil, following the packet for depth and final spacing. Florence fennel needs more room than a narrow row of herbs.
- Keep moisture even. Heat, drought, crowding, or transplant stress can make Florence fennel bolt before its base swells.
- Tall flower stalks carry yellow umbels that attract pollinators. Mature herb-fennel seed can be collected and dried.
Fennel growing beside dill does not change either plant's flavour. If their pollen produces a rare hybrid, the difference would be in the next generation grown from seed.
Use fennel as food only after a knowledgeable adult has identified the culinary plant and part. Rinse fresh stalks and leaves under cool running water. Treat medical claims about fennel separately from ordinary cooking: this page does not recommend it as a remedy or for babies.