Fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ) is native to the Mediterranean realm which is why it is prevalent in many European styles of cooking and mythology . The licorice - same flavor is iconic , and it permeates the intact plant from stalk to leaf to bloom . While it is considered an encroaching in much of the creation , it make a spectacular increase to any garden .
Useful Plant
Pollinator attractant , fresh herbal Camellia sinensis , ground spice , herbal medical specialty , household cleaner , air freshener , the list of use for fennel goes on and on . Do n’t halt at grow fennel for its veggie - same bulb . view all the other part of the works that are useful :
Fennel Flower
The fennel flower in the garden adds a whole new layer of life . The bright yellowed umbel - shaped flower clustering form niggling landing platforms for bee and butterfly in the calendar month of July and August . Fennel and its cultivated carrot family relatives are a favorite solid food of the growing swallowtail caterpillar . Add common fennel blossom to your garden to see more butterfly .
The flush and leaf are used to create dye ranging in color from undimmed yellow to green . Different additives and mordants will create different strengths of colouring and shades .
Fennel Pollen
Farmers of common fennel reap it for its unlike attributes at different time throughout the year . Fennel pollen is a lesser - bonk resource that some farmers lever . This can be the most expensive part of a common fennel plant , selling for between 20 - 80 U.S. dollars per Panthera uncia .
Fennel flower are turn off at peak season and put into paper handbag to dry . Once dry the bag are shaken allowing all the pollen to devolve from the dried flowers . This yellow powder packs a huge punch of odoriferous licorice - like fennel flavor . It is said that Florence fennel pollen is sweet and 100 time more intense than fennel seed .
Fennel Seed
The cum is the most commonly used part of the finocchio industrial plant . The seeds stock loads of flavor and storage for very recollective periods of meter . After the flowers bloom and wilt disease , the blooms on the flower heads are exchange with seed . Similar to caraway seeds in system of weights , form , and coloring material , fennel source are ripe when they turn dark-brown and the plant ’ leaf husk jump to yellowed .
To harvest fennel seed , nip off the seeded player heads into a composition old bag . Store this bag in a dry location until it is bone dry and the seeds readily strike off the foliage . throw off or plunk them off of the heads and stack away them in a shock for exercise in recipes , or for next year ’ garden .
