Bronze Fennel Fun

My bronze fennel is a reliable plant that has really just kept on giving. It produces beautiful crops of fragrant fennel seed, and its tasty fronds are great in dumplings or salads, or for an accompaniment to seafood. The anise flavor is divine.

It seems to be quite shade tolerant in comparison to bulb fennel to which is it closely related. Baby fennel have since popped up around my garden, and I let them grow where they may. I sell the extra babies in the spring and the summer since I do have more than I can eat. It’s a hardy perennial, zone 6 – 10. making it an excellent understory or filler plant with its attractive color and growth.

Just make sure you don’t plant it near dill, since they’re part of the same family and it will affect both the seeds flavor and next years plants.