Bronze Fennel seed Foeniculum vulgare

LATIN NAME: Foeniculum vulgare

COMMON NAME: Bronze Fennel

The bronze fennel braids the fine, bronze-purple threads over the tall stems, the whole plant carrying the dark, smoky look of the ornamental border. The hardy, perennial herb carries the finely divided, thread-like, bronze-purple leaves along the tall, erect, hollow stems, and the small, yellow flowers in the flat-topped umbels, on the tall, branching stems, through the mid summer, one of the dark, bright sights of the ornamental border, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, ridged, grey-brown seeds with the strong, anise scent. The strong seeds have a very long record as the fine, bronze fennels of the old gardens, and the plant is a historic presence of the ornamental border. It is a plant of the open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The bronze fennel is a historic subject of the plant science, and the bronze leaves keep showing up in the work on the ornamental fennels. The way the small, yellow flowers form in the flat-topped umbels has been studied at length, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the ornamental fennels, the thread-like leaves and the members of the carrot family. The strong seeds and the tall habit have also made it a fine study herb, and the bronze fennel is a regular subject of the work on the bronze leaves of the temperate world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The bronze fennel is a dark, useful plant of the ornamental border and the study collection. The finely divided, thread-like, bronze-purple leaves along the tall, erect, hollow stems carry the dark look of the ornamental border, one of the dark, bright sights of the ornamental border, drawing the bees, and the strong seeds have a very long record as the fine, bronze fennels of the old gardens, the fine, smoky leaves coming to the mixed borders, the vase stems and the steady practice of the old gardens, while the small, yellow flowers in the flat-topped umbels, on the tall, branching stems, open through the mid summer, to be followed by the small, ridged, grey-brown seeds with the strong, anise scent. It is one of the fine choices for the ornamental border, the back row and the study collection, and it has been written up in the horticultural and the botanical papers for the bronze leaves and the very long history. It is a dark, useful plant of the open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden.

The bronze seeds grow readily in a fine, gritty mix kept moist. The young plants are fast and tall, and they enjoy the deep, rich ground of the open border.

To grow the bronze fennel from seed, sow the small, ridged seeds into the shallow tray of fine, gritty mix, water gently, then keep the tray in a bright, open spot. The seedlings push through within a couple of weeks, and they grow on fast. With the sun and the deep, rich, moist ground, the bronze threads will braid over the warm months.

Uses: Culinary/Medicinal/Beverage/Aromatic

Highly decorative form of fennel with bronze-red, lacy foliage. Leaves can be used like green fennel.