Foeniculum vulgare 

'Wild Fennel'

Apiaceae: a grey-green, strong-smelling, hairless perennial to 2m, with solid young stems and hollow older ones. Found in grassy places, mainly near the sea. The flowers are yellow, in open umbels 4-8cm across, blooming from July-October. The seeds are narrow, egg-shaped, and ridged. The leaves are feathery, comprising thread-like leaflets. Locally common in the south of Britain. Native to Southern Europe.

USES:

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, they have a delicious aniseed flavour, and the young leaves are best, as older ones soon become tough. They are often used as a garnish on raw or cooked dishes and make a very pleasant addition to salads. The aromatic seeds are used as a flavouring in cakes, bread, and stuffing’s, they have a similar flavour to the leaves.

Fennel has a long history of herbal use and is a commonly used household remedy, being useful in the treatment of a variety of complaints, especially those of the digestive system. The plant has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, galactogogue, laxative, stimulant and stomachic properties.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Rapidly germinating, keep seed in constant moisture (not wet) with temperatures of about +20°C [68°F]. Seeds must be covered thinly. Do not cover very small seeds, but tightly press into the earth. Keep in cooler conditions after germination occurs. 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. Plants often self-sow freely in the garden. Although hardy in most parts of Britain, plants are liable to die out over the winter if the soil is not well-drained or the weather is persistently cold and wet.

HARVESTED: 

 
APPROX. 200 SEEDS