🌿 Bronze fennel

Bronze fennel is a tall, graceful perennial with feathery, smoky bronze foliage and flat yellow flower heads that attract hoverflies and lacewings. It tastes of aniseed and is used for its leaves, seeds and pollen, rather than the bulb of Florence fennel.

It looks wonderful in borders, but self-seeds freely and grows large, so deadhead before seeds ripen if you do not want a lot of seedlings. It dislikes being moved, thanks to a long taproot.

Varieties to try

Bronze fennel (Purpureum)Smokey (deep bronze)Giant Bronze (very tall)Common fennel (green-leaved)

Sow in situ from March to May, 1 cm deep, in a sunny spot with free-draining soil, and thin to 60 cm apart. Fennel hates root disturbance, so avoid transplanting. Alternatively, buy a young plant and plant in spring.

Allow plenty of room, since mature plants reach 2 m. Keep away from dill, with which it crosses, and from tomatoes and beans, which it inhibits. Water in until established.

Top tips

• Sow where it will grow.
• Allow space.
• Keep away from dill.
• Choose the sunniest spot.

Little care is needed. Water in dry spells in the first year, then leave. Cut down old stems in autumn, and mulch with compost. Support tall stems in windy gardens.

Remove flower heads before seeds ripen to prevent self-seeding. Divide the clump in spring every 3–4 years if needed, although it resents disturbance. Aphids may colonise the stems but are quickly dealt with by hoverflies.

Top tips

• Deadhead before seeding.
• Cut down in autumn.
• Support in wind.
• Divide in spring.

Watch out for

AphidsSlugs on young plantsSelf-seedingRoot rot in wet soil

Pick the feathery fronds from late spring to autumn, cutting stems at the base, or snipping individual leaves. Young fronds are the sweetest. Harvest regularly to promote new growth.

Collect seeds in September when the flower heads turn brown, cutting the heads into a paper bag and shaking out the seeds. Dry for a week before storing.

The pollen from the flower heads is prized by chefs: shake the dry yellow flower heads over a sheet of paper in August and collect the golden dust, which has a concentrated sweet aniseed flavour. Seeds should be harvested before they scatter, so tie a paper bag over the heads.

Top tips

• Pick young fronds.
• Collect seed in September.
• Cut regularly.
• Dry seed before storing.

Chop fronds into salads, fish dishes, soups, sauces, potato salad and egg dishes, or use whole sprigs to flavour grilled fish and pork. The flavour is a gentle aniseed. Use seeds in breads, sausages, curries and teas.

Fresh fronds keep for several days in the fridge with stems in water. Freeze chopped fronds in ice-cube trays. Seeds keep a year in a jar.

Top tips

• Use with fish.
• Freeze chopped fronds.
• Toast seeds before use.
• Try fennel tea.