Types of Fennel

Clump forming biennial or perennial with deep roots.Has thread like purple-bronze foliage with a scent of licorice. Has tiny dull yellow flowers in the summer.This one is hardier than the other fennel's.

Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavored spice, brown or green in color when fresh, slowly turning a dull grey as the seed ages. For cooking, green seeds are optimal. The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to those of dill.

Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is the bulb type of fennel eaten as a vegetable. All parts of the plant are fragrant and can be used in culinary applications. Florence fennel cultivation began with the Greeks and Romans and filtered through the ages to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.