PlantsHerbs & Teas
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Zone 6a garden plant. Hardy through a Chicago winter unless the note says to pot it.
Bronze or green herb, and Florence fennel for bulbs
ModerateHerbs & TeasAlso Vegetables & RootsEdible
- Light
- Full sun
- Moisture
- Medium
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft
- Spacing
- 12 in
- Bloom or harvest
- Leaves and bulbs summer
- How it spreads
- Perennial herb; bulb fennel is annual
- What to buy
- Direct sow. Don't transplant well.
- When to plant
- Sow herb fennel in April. Sow Florence fennel in July for fall bulbs.
In the design
Herb fennel is hardy and weedy. Bulb fennel is a fall annual. Don't mix up the seed packet.
If you eat it
Leaves, seed, and Florence bulbs
Wash. Do not wildcraft fennel. Poison hemlock is a lookalike and it will kill you.
Only eat what you planted and can name. This is not a foraging or medical guide.
