Florence Fennel Seeds

Days to Maturity: 90 to 115

An heirloom variety used in many culinary traditions around the world, Florence, a native of Italy called finocchio, is grown as a bulb vegetable. Every part of the plant is edible, from seed to root. Bulbs can be cooked whole, diced to add to soups and stews, or sliced to grill. Celery-like stalks have a mild licorice flavor and can be eaten raw, added to salads, or steamed or roasted and served as a side dish. Feathery dill-like leaves can be used as a garnish or herb, substituting for dill, adding a faintly sweet flavor. The dried seeds, similar to aniseed, are used as an aromatic, anise-flavored spice, often flavoring fish and soups.

This herbaceous tender perennial, usually grown as an annual, is a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae). It grows as an upright branching plant reaching 3 feet tall, forming feathery, aromatic leaves, resembling a large dill plant. It attracts bees, butterflies, and many beneficial insects, including ladybugs. Open pollinated, it produces seed that will grow true to type, ideal for seed saving.

Easy to grow, the plant prefers full sun and organically rich, moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.8. It requires a steady supply of water and should not be allowed to dry out completely. Succession plantings every 2 to 3 weeks is recommended for continual harvest.

A cool-season vegetable, one of the first to be planted in the garden, it can be direct sown into the garden in early spring 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost date. It can also be sown in late summer for a fall harvest. Fennel tolerates heat but seeds germinate best when temperatures are around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.