California Gardens - The Year Round Gardening Site

Foeniculum vulgare rubrum - Bronze Fennel

Bronze Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare rubrum. Growers are split between the cultivar names Rubrum and Purpureum and a few use Nigrum. Regardless plants are spectacular in the garden and fragrant on the dinner table. Green or red foliage makes little difference for taste. There are a number of varieties a with fattened bulblike base, Sweet Fennel or Azoricum. On the down side Foeniculum vulgare is a major weed and is difficult to eradicate. Fennel easily escapes and should not be planted near wild areas. Roots can grow to 6 feet deep or more. Leave a root behind and Fennel will come back. Foeniculum vulgare is easily grown from the flavorful seeds making it a most successful weed. Anise Swallowtail butterflies are attracted to the yellow flowers Spring and Summer. A number of butterflies including this Monarch feed on Bronze Fennel nectar. Foeniculum vulgare is hardy down to zone 5, far colder than we see in most of California.

Foeniculum vulgare rubrum, Bronze Fennel

A Monarch Butterfly visits flowers of Foeniculum vulgare rubrum - Bronze Fennel. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.

High resolution photos of are part of our garden image collection.