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PRONOUNCED:
fen-IK-you-lum vul-GAY-re
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Soil: Humusy, well-drained soil. |
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Description: Perennial. Fennel is a licorice-flavored herb with feathery plumes of foliage and stunning umbels of yellow flowers. A hard freeze may nip the fennel, but it usually reappears as temperatures warm. When summer heat comes the plant quickly bolts. Fennel does well in full sun, but afternoon shade is tolerated. It is a food source for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. Special varieties such as finocchio or Florence (F. vulgare var. azoricum), have been developed with edible, bulbous, celerylike stalk bases. Soil is usually hilled around the base to blanch the lower root. Sweet fennel (F. vulgare var. dulce) has large stalks which are eaten like celery, raw or cooked. Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. rubrum) is a striking ornamental and culinary plant. Feathery bronze leaves add an unusual contrast to other garden plants. It has the same uses and taste as Sweet Fennel. Full sun. |
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In The Garden: Fennel is suitable in the back of the beds where it provides interesting contrasts in color and texture to set off the other herbs. It is ideal for providing a screen to conceal a fence or road, or to divide a large garden into sections. |
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Cultivation/propagation: The seed is best sown in early spring outdoors. The seed can also be sown outdoors in the fall. In many gardens it self sows freely. Division in March as the new growth appears. An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but prefers a sunny, dry position. It grows well in sandy soils and is drought tolerant once established. It is best to cut a few plants back to ground level occasionally during the growing season, thus ensuring a constant supply of fresh young shoots. In a dry summer make sure that you water the cut-down clump or it might not regrow that year. Fennel is in general a poor companion plant in the garden. It inhibits the growth of nearby plants, especially beans, tomatoes and kohl rabi. It is itself inhibited in growth by wormwood and coriander. However, the flowering plant attracts beneficial insects such as bees, parasitic wasps, tachinid flies and hoverflies to the garden. The presence of these creatures will help to maintain a natural balance of insects in the garden and help prevent infestations by aphids etc. It is best not to grow fennel and dill (Anethum graveolens) close to each other since hybridization can occur and the resulting seedlings will be of indeterminate flavor.
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Harvesting: Snip leaves before blooming for fresh use. The leaves can also be frozen. Collect the seeds when dry but before they shatter, and dry on paper.
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Culinary Uses: Mediterranean seaside restaurants wrap fish in dried fennel leaves before grilling and place fennel twigs in the fire. The leaves are added to salmon, white Cheese, seafood sauces, eggs, cucumber, zucchini, cabbage, sour cream, green beans, salads, sauces and soups, and in Italy and France it is finely chopped to garnish sauces and puddings. Fennel is also fed to rabbits to flavor their meat. Italians peel the stalks to make cartucci, a salad served with a vinegar and pepper dressing. In Provence, the flower buds are added to pickled olives, cucumbers, and capers or to season boiled chestnuts, and the stems preserved in brine. It is found in Ethiopia's fiery berbere sauce, and in Oriental curry. It is also an ingredient in Chinese 5-spice (with anise seed, Szechwan pepper, cloves and cinnamon). Classic flavor partners are chives, society garlic, parsley, tarragon, shallots, Welsh onions or nasturtium leaves. The leaves have a pleasant sweet aniseed flavor and should be added to the pot just prior to serving. The seeds of often used in breads, cakes and scones. Try the bronze variety for foliage contrast outdoors, and on the dinner plate as a garnish.
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Medicinal and Folklore: In the language of flowers, fennel is considered an emblem of strength. It is useful in the treatment of a variety of complaints, especially those of the digestive system. The seeds, leaves and roots can be used, but the seeds are most active medicinally and are the part normally used. An essential oil is often extracted from the fully ripened and dried seed for medicinal use, though it should not be given to pregnant women. An infusion is used in the treatment of indigestion, abdominal distention, stomach pains etc. It helps in the treatment of kidney stones and, when combined with a urinary disinfectant like Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, makes an effective treatment for cystitis. It can also be used as a gargle for sore throats and as an eyewash for sore eyes and conjunctivitis. Fennel is often added to purgatives in order to allay their tendency to cause gripe, and also to improve the flavor. An infusion of the seeds is a safe and effective cure for wind in babies. The dried plant is an insect repellent; the crushed leaves are effective for keeping dogs free of fleas. Yellow and brown dyes are obtained from the flowers and leaves combined. |
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