An anise-scented herb with feathery foliage and, in bulbing types, a crisp swollen base. A perennial in mild zones, grown as an annual where winters bite, and a magnet for pollinators when it flowers.
When to plant fennel where you live
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Full sun
Zones 6–10
10–12 in apart for bulbing types.
Fertile, well-draining soil with steady moisture; pH 6.0–7.0.
Keep consistently moist, about 1–1.5 in/week; drought stress triggers bolting in bulbing fennel.
Apr – Jun
Jul – Oct
Direct sow seed 1/4 in deep, as fennel resents transplanting; in mild zones the perennial herb returns from the crown each year.
Good with Cabbage, Lettuce, Pea. Keep apart from Dill, Tomato, Bean.
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