Foeniculum vulgare

Foeniculum vulgare is an evergreen perennial growing to 1.5 meters tall by 1 meter wide at a medium rate. Hardy to UK zone 5, not frost tender, and in leaf year-round. Flowers from August to October with seed ripening September to October. Hermaphroditic and self-fertile, noted for attracting wildlife. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils preferring well-drained conditions across mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH ranges. Requires full sun, prefers dry or moist soil, tolerates drought and strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Description

A green leafy perennial herb. It can be 2 m high and 45 cm wide. The leaves are very fine. They have a feathery appearance. The stems are ribbed and at the bottom of the stalks there is a broad green section. When the leaves are crushed, they smell like aniseed. The flower at the top is a group of small yellow flowers. The seeds are oval and ribbed and about 5 mm long. Ripe fruit are wingless which distinguishes it from dill. There are several named cultivated varieties.

Edible Uses

Almost every part of fennel is edible and useful in the kitchen. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, offering a delicious aniseed flavour — young leaves are best, as older ones turn tough. They work well as a garnish or salad ingredient and help improve digestion, making them especially good alongside oily foods. Though the leaves don't dry well, they can often be harvested year-round from plants in a warm, sheltered spot. Leaf stalks and flower heads share the same aniseed character and can also be eaten raw or cooked. The aromatic seeds are used to flavour cakes, bread, and stuffings, and sprouted seeds make a good addition to salads. An essential oil extracted from fully ripened, dried seeds serves as a food flavouring much like the whole seeds. The root is edible when cooked and has a somewhat parsnip-like quality. Both leaves and seeds can be brewed into a pleasant herbal tea.

Traditional Uses

The top leaves can be boiled and eaten as a flavouring. The young tender central portion and the leaf bases can be chopped and eaten. The root can be cooked and eaten. (It is used in medicine) The seeds can be used as a flavouring. They are used to flavour bread and cakes and in stuffings. It is used in sauces, sausages, stews and salads.

Medicinal Uses

Fennel has a long history of herbal use and is a well-established household remedy, particularly for digestive complaints. The seeds, leaves, and roots all have medicinal value, but the seeds are the most active and most commonly used part. An essential oil extracted from fully ripened, dried seeds is also used medicinally, though it should not be given to pregnant women. The plant is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, galactogogue, hallucinogenic, laxative, stimulant, and stomachic. An infusion treats indigestion, abdominal distension, and stomach pains, and helps with kidney stones; combined with a urinary disinfectant such as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, it makes an effective treatment for cystitis. The infusion can also be used as a gargle for sore throats or as an eyewash for sore eyes and conjunctivitis. Fennel is frequently added to purgatives to reduce griping and improve flavour. An infusion of the seeds is considered a safe and effective remedy for wind in babies. An infusion of the root treats urinary disorders. The seed's essential oil is used in aromatherapy, where its keyword is 'Normalising'; it is bactericidal, carminative, and stimulant. Some caution is advised regarding toxicity. The German Commission E Monographs approve fennel for cough, bronchitis, and dyspeptic complaints.

Known Hazards

Skin contact with the sap or essential oil is said to cause photo-sensitivity and/or dermatitis in some people. Ingestion of the oil can cause vomiting, seizures and pulmonary oedema. Avoid for small children. Avoid if cirrhosis/liver disorders. Diabetics check sugar content of preparation.

Distribution

A temperate plant. It grows well in a Mediterranean climate. It grows well on dry and stony calcareous soils. It grows up to at least 2200 m altitude in the tropics. It grows better during the drier season at altitudes over 500 m. In PNG is grows between 1,400-2,200 m above sea level. It is cultivated but also easily grows wild. It is frost hardy. It grows in Nepal to about 2400 m altitude. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 5-10. Tasmania Herbarium. In Hobart Botanical gardens. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Balkans, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Crete, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, Egypt - Sinai, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe*, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Marquesas, Mediterranean*, Malaysia, Mali, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Niue, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, NW India, Norway, Pacific, Pakistan, Palestine, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Reunion, Russia, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Sicily, Sinai, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Helena, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Tibet, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

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. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn. 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. Fennel is often cultivated in the herb garden for its edible and medicinal uses, there are some named varieties. Especially in mild winters, the leaves can be available all year round. 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 also grown commercially as a medicinal plant and for its essential oil. 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 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 aphis etc. It is best not to grow fennel and dill (Anethum graveolens) close to each other since hybridisation can occur and the resulting seedlings will be of indeterminate flavour. Fennel bulbs are usually harvested in late summer to early autumn (August to October), while the seeds are harvested in late summer. Fennel typically flowers in summer. Fennel has a moderate growth rate and typically reaches maturity within 80 to 120 days after sowing, depending on the variety.

Propagation

Fennel is best raised from seed sown directly in situ in early spring, though autumn sowing in situ is also successful. In many gardens it self-sows freely. Division can be carried out in March as new growth appears; the plants tolerate disturbance well and divisions can be taken at any time of year, though seed-sown plants tend to be superior.

Other Uses

Fennel attracts beneficial insects including pollinators and can be used as a companion plant to deter pests; its deep roots also help improve soil structure. The seeds yield up to 5% essential oil, which is used medicinally and as a food flavouring, as well as in toothpastes, soaps, perfumery, and air fresheners. The flavour of the oil depends on its two main constituents: fenchone, which is bitter, and anethole, which is sweet and anise-like. The balance of these varies by strain and region — plants from the Mediterranean and southern Europe typically produce a sweeter oil, while those from central and northern Europe tend toward a more bitter one. The quality also depends on how well the seed has been dried, with fully ripened and dried seeds producing a much sweeter, more fragrant oil. The dried plant repels insects, and crushed leaves are effective for keeping dogs free of fleas. The plant was historically used as a strewing herb. Yellow and brown dyes can be obtained from the flowers and leaves combined.

Other Information

It is sold in local markets. It is cultivated.

Notes

There is only one Foeniculum species. It can be invasive.

Dangerous Lookalikes

This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.

DEADLY

Poison Hemlock

Conium maculatum

MPF

Safe

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

(c) Jose Rui Santos, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Poison Hemlock: Foul musty smell, white flowers, smooth stems with purple/red blotches.

Fennel: Strong licorice/anise smell, yellow flowers, no purple blotches on stem.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Adas, Adeh manih, Arapcaci, Asi, Badishep, Badisopu, Besbas, Dereotu, Elbesbas, Fenchel, Fenneru, Fenocchio salvacce, Fenouil, Finocchio selvatico, Fonoll, Funcho, Hades, Hinojo, Hinojo amargo, Horom samit. Hui xiang, Jintan manis, Jira, Kagelanay, K'ama, Kokar ot, Komorac, Lebgoul, Madhurica, Maduru, Maraho, Masara, Masaro, Mauri, Millua, Morac, Mouri, Navadni komarček, Orla, Panmuhori, Peddajilakara, Phak chi, Rezene, Samon-saba, Samouk-saba, Saunf, Shamar, Shepu, Shombu, Shumar, Sonf, Sonp, Sopu, Sounp, Tseretso, Variari, Variyali, Vinkel, Wamssa, Yi ra, Yira

References (151)

• Aceituno-Mata, L., et al, 2021, The Persistence of Flavor: Past and Present Use of Wild Food Plants in Sierra Norte de Madrid, Spain. Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 11 January 2021
• Ali-Shtayeh, M. S., et al, 2008, Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in Palestine (Northern West Bank): A comparative study. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 4: 13
• Al-Qura'n, S. A., 2010, Ethnobotanical and Ecological Studies of Wild Edible Plants in Jordan. Libyan Agriculture Research Center Journal International 1(4):231-243
• Al-Sodany, Y. M., et al, 2013, Medicinal Plants in Saudi Arabia: I. Sarrwat Mountains at Taif, KSA. Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 6 (4): 134-145
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 226

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