Go to Midwest Weeds and Wildflowers Home Page

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

Go to Midwest Weeds and Wildflowers Home Page

Posted 15 January 2019