Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum Seeds | Florence Fennel
LATIN NAME: Foeniculum vulgare var. Azoricum
COMMON NAME: Florence Fennel
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, Florence Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. Azoricum) stands out as a fast-growing, annual in the carrot family. The Florence fennel plumps white, fleshy bulbs at base of feathery stems, fine, green leaves above them, and the whole plant stands in the neat, crisp look of the kitchen garden row. It is a plant of open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground. Its flowers draw a steady traffic of bees and other beneficial insects. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the carrot family, Foeniculum vulgare var. Azoricum contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. Breeders and collectors still work with it, so well-kept seed remains available.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Florence Fennel for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. The Florence fennel is a neat, useful plant of kitchen garden row and study collection. It is a neat, useful plant of open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden. The Florence seeds grow readily in a fine, loamy soil kept warm and moist. In later seasons it demands little more than an appreciative eye.
Fennel seed is among the world’s most-used digestive herbs, official in pharmacopoeias for gas, bloating and infant colic teas; its anethole-rich oil flavors everything from toothpaste to absinthe, and the bulb is a crisp aniseed vegetable.
Growing from Seed
Florence Fennel grows readily from seed. Level a tray of loose seed compost, sow evenly, cover to about the seed’s own depth, and keep it moist in full light. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
Its long record of traditional use, described above, gives the plant a story beyond ornament. Once established, Florence Fennel largely looks after itself. Start with fresh seed, keep it evenly moist, and the plant does the rest itself.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Florence Fennel often pair it with these related subjects: