Wild Fennel

Wild Fennel, Sweet Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare Mill.

Apiaceae (Carrot Family)

▲ ▼ young plants

▲ ▼ plants entering flowering stage

▲ flowers

▲ regrowth at base of previous-season's stems

Foeniculum vulgare Mill.; Sweet Fennel, Wild Fennel: (Bayer Code: FOEVU; US Code FOVU)

Cool-season biennial or perennial in the Carrot family
First produces a rosette of very finely-divided, airy leaves; leave segments/lobes are threadlike; leaves usually green, but some plants have purplish leaves and stems; leaves have licorice/anise odor
Flowering stems are ridged and can grow over 6 feet tall
Flowers are yellow to yellow-green, in open, flat, terminal umbel inflorescences
Fruit is hairless, oval in upright clusters, about 0.2-0.4 inches long
Found in rocky soils in sunny locations, orchards, nurseries, vineyards, right-of-ways, non-crop areas

(Posted January 15, 2019)