Foeniculum vulgare
UMBELLIFERAE
Fennel
Native to the Meditteranean.
Hardy, perennial herb, 2.5m tall, with hollow stems. Feathery leaves, strongly aniseed flavoured & scented.
Yellow tinted flowers in terminal umbels, 5 to 15cm across of 20 to 50 flowers on short stalks in Summer. Seeds can be eaten raw, cooked or made into tea. Good for flatulence, colic, nursing mothers, externally the oil is good for rheumatic & muscular pain.
Planted near dog kennels it is good for keeping away fleas.
Remove plants before flowering time is vital. Use a combination of different control methods, spray, dig out, slash.
Fennel spreads by seed on machinery, animals &humans, in water, it will regrow from crown or root fragments.