Fennel is an easy to grow herb with a sweet anise-like flavor. There are two main types. Sweet fennel is grown for its seeds, leaves, stems and flowers. Florence fennel or “finocchio” is cultivated for its above ground, celery-like bulb and is eaten as a vegetable. Fennel can be used in salads, soups, casseroles and all types of cooking. It can be grown as an annual but can often survive the winter as a perennial. It is related to dill weed and like dill it can reseed prolifically so pluck the flowers if you don’t want fennel seed. The dainty yellow flowers of fennel are particularly sweet. Finocchio fennel was said to be Thomas Jefferson’s favorite of all vegetables.
Growing Home: Fennel
