Wild (really feral) fennel differs from garden fennel in that it rarely sets a bulb and has smaller seeds than the domesticated variety. From Shannon Swindle, Pastry Chef, Craft Restaurant, Los Angeles. You can eat the fennel seeds as a candy or toss them into salads or oatmeal. #fennel #fennelrecipe #herbalism #herb #foraging #edible #wildplant #medicinalplant #medicinal. The flowers are many small white or yellow flowers together in an umbrella-like clump. P.P.S. There are two—one that’s narrow (the female) and one rounder (male). It takes a lot of flowers to gather much of this yellow "pollen.". Being a diuretic, Fennel is also an aid for water retention. Both are perennials down to Zone 6 (winter lows down to -10°F) and possibly down into Zone 5, where winter temps drop all the way to -20°F. The seeds dry naturally on the stalk, and with a little shake and a gentle hand, they come off easily. The recipes above are all about using Wild Fennel. How to identify Fennel has grey-green foliage with thread-like leaves that smell of aniseed. I like to keep the flowers (pollen, as it is known in the U.S.) separate to use in salads or for a pretty sprinkle. After it's dried, I just store the fronds and flowers together and use mainly for cooking. I hope you find delights in wild fennel as I do! Growing Zones. Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework. Wild fennel seeds are a lot smaller than your typical variety. Fennel: Find out how to identify this wild plant. how to find joy, how to find your happiness, how do I find my joy, where does joy come from, I love God, How do I get my Joy back? U.S. Weed Information; Foeniculum vulgare . They should look quite dry when this happens, and it will take place quickly. Reply. Then last summer, low and behold, I had a whole patch of wild fennel. This plant has no children Legal Status. seed starting, seed kits for survival, what should a seed kit have, how to buy a seed kit, seeds in shtf, seed saving, being prepared, "Food52" and it is by Poppies and Papayas, Tips for Foraging and Wildcrafting Herbs Safely & Successfully. Leave comments in the comments section! You have to be careful to remove small pieces of stem that inevitably get in with the seeds. (Poppies and Papayas), This recipe makes 3 Tablespoons  (so gather those seeds!). The chopped leaves and dried flowers and fronds add a nice taste to salad dressings and in meat dishes. After a recent pollen foraging trip — “trip” makes it sound more grandiose than it was, as wild fennel grows everywhere around here — I came home with enough to make a fennel pollen pasta dough. I decided to continue the fennel theme by making a fennel-tomato pasta sauce to go with the pici. You can see how delicate they are! The leaves, however, are usually a light yellow green occasionally a bluish purple. Replies. Wild Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Wild fennel has a similar overall structure to poison hemlock, but it has yellow flowers, frond like leaves, and smells strongly of … Fennel smells lovely. 15 Tips for Wildharvesting and Foraging Edible and Medicinal Herbs, Foraging for Juniper Berries and What to Do With Them, My Best Tips for How to Become an Herbalist, Survival Food to Forage: Identifying, Foraging, and Using Lambsquarters. When you do, you'll get access to the free password protected Resource Library with free eBooks, checklists, guides, and more! You can use Fennel to make a medicinal tincture OR you can use it as a drink! Anonymous May 20, 2016 at 11:16 PM. Identify angelica via its pictures, habitat, height, flowers and leaves. These tiny yellow flowers are often known as Fennel Pollen, and are a delicacy in very fine restaurants. Ingredients 1 quart organic heavy cream 1 quart organic whole milk 8 ounces wild fennel fronds and small stems, chopped 20 organic egg yolks 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp fine sea salt. If you click through and make any kind of purchase, I may earn a very small commission at no extra cost to you. Cantino fennel – Slow to go to seed. Learning to use them is an excellent step to take on your way to self-reliance! This pesky weed is not only very harmful to humans and animals, but also invasive and quick-spreading. – sweet fennel Subordinate Taxa. I am hoping like crazy it will come back this upcoming summer as strong as it was last summer! The taste of Fennel---Fennel has a strong, sweet anise taste, again, just like black licorice. There are affiliate links scattered throughout this article. Wild fennel is an annual in the upper Midwest, but in warmer climates can be a biennial or perennial. Fennel grows in zones 5-10. Air-boat harv, Merry Christmas. The leaves and fronds should be laid to dry too. Don’t get them mixed up. "Strawberry and Wild Fennel Compote with Pound Cake". – Main Menu – Edible Plants (select an option below) - Weeds - Flowers - Aquatics - Plants (A-D) - Plants (E-K) - Plants (L-S) - Plants (T-Z) Edible Fungi Edible Trees & Shrubs Recipes Foraging for Food Events Blog Videos Free PDFs Media Bios Newsletter About Us Contact Us Books PDF Magazines Store I present to. "This perennial herb has different medicinal uses and is grown almost all over the world. Weed, anyone? North Africa Family Apiaceae Genus Foeniculum Mill. Brioche rolls made with puffball flour. May 21, 2020 - Learn how to identify elderflower and forage for this beautiful edible flower, plus ideas on Foraging for wild fennel is not only fun, but yields you a really great herb to use in your cooking and for medicinal purposes. Last year, my husband brought a fennel plant home from the nursery. Fennel recipes included! #christmascardphoto #anerdschri, Steamed cod with venison trotter-mushroom sauce wa, Feet, they’re what’s for dinner. In India and other countries where Fennel is naturalized, Fennel is a commonly used herb. It's great as a breath freshener too! My favorite way to preserve Fennel is to infuse the dried fronds/seeds in Vinegars. Tough plants. When shopping for fennel, the shape is very important. What are some of the ways you use fennel? When referenced in recipes, ' fennel ' can refer to the green-white fennel bulb, the celery-like fennel stalk, and also dried fennel seeds. The best time to harvest Fennel is in the early morning, when the plant is freshest. I chalked up that experience as a gardening flop. Identify the problem These weeds are fast growing up to 2 metres tall and have finely divided feathery leaves. you can purchase freshly dried organic Fennel Here. Wild parsnip (also known as also known as giant hogweed, cartwheel-flower, wild parsnip, wild rhubarb, giant cow parsnip, or giant cow parsley) is present in almost every state in the US and throughout much of Canada. Fennel can be transplanted as well (it is reportedly abundant naturally in the Western states). These tiny yellow flowers are often known as Fennel Pollen, and are a delicacy in very fine restaurants. It is used as a culinary herb, and adds a different, sweet and delightful flavor to many dishes. The stalk also looks just like what is attached to a fennel bulb that you would buy at a grocery store or farmer’s market, with all of the feathery fronds. The male plant typically has more flavor. Fennel looks beautiful (to me, anyway). We planted it in a large container in the garden, not realizing that it is a CRAZY growing herb! Your email address will not be published. It grows wild in some places (like California), and is tall----it grows to between three and nine feet. You should know there is a distant relative to Wild Fennel that is deadly, the Poison Hemlock. Its loose umbels of yellow flowers appear at the ends of branched stems. Using a teaspoon or so of chopped fennel leaves, pour boilng water over in a cup. Preludio – An F1 hybrid that produces large, round bulbs. Sow in early spring in small pots or modules under cover, or in mid-spring direct where it is to grow. Also Poison Hemlock has large … Poison hemlock does not. Here is a great book, in case you are interested in foraging for food! Though they all have different applications, all parts of the plant share distinctive aniseed flavours. Finding and then fishing for them marks the completion of a quest for the traditional angler – where mind set, tackle, environment and fish are in perfect harmony. At this point, they are very tender. Wild Fennel Ice Cream. Wild carp are just so rare and vulnerable. Because of this, it is thought to aid with heartburn. Avoid picking roadside fennel that may have been sprayed with chemicals or absorbed harmful compounds through its roots. Wild Fennel is not the same as the cultivated varieties of Fennel such as the Florence Fennel. Really, it's a matter of getting out and keeping your eyes peeled for places to forage. Just like the book said, wild fennel is most easily identified in spring time by looking for the 4 to 5 foot high dead stalks from the previous years growth. However, we had a LOT of fennel, and nobody is lactating around here, so I wanted to find some other ways to use this lovely plant! The tea is also excellent for lactating mothers who want to improve their milk flow. Crushing the leaves and smelling them will … It has tiny delicate fronds (somewhat like Dill) as well as leaves and a more woody stalk that holds the plant upright. You may also be interested in reading these related foraging articles: Tips for Foraging and Wildcrafting Herbs Safely & Successfully, and LOTS more foraging articles on the blog! Foraging wild fennel in a North Oakland median. P.S. It's great to help balance the strong taste of fish, especially salmon. The fronds have a carrot leaf look to them, but I would describe them as almost aquatic looking. Since Wild Fennel (like the kind in my backyard) does not have a bulb, you need to find ways to use the stalk, fronds and flowers. It has a delicate anise (black licorice) smell, and the bees absolutely love it, and so do I.  I could stand there and just smell it all day! As they dry, they will turn brown and become hard---not as fun to munch on, but very good for cooking. Adapted from KCRW’s Good Food, April 2012. It is actually considered an invasive weed, so it is fine to use as much as you want or can! Carefully cut the flower umbrels and lay them flat. Being an herbalist, I am aware that fennel has some wonderful healing qualities. After being introduced to California roughly 150 years ago wild fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) now grows rampant on hillsides, creek beds and just about anywhere else it can lay down its rugged routes. How to make fennel candy, use in cooking and desserts. This plant can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below.This plant may be known by one or more common names in different places, and some are listed above. Fennel's Guide to Wild Carp Identification 'Wild' or feral carp are the holy grail of the traditional coarse angler. It is great for the digestive system, it helps increase milk flow in lactating mothers, is a mild pain reliever, and may help with mild symptoms of depression. Also--how to use fennel medicinally. If you have this herb growing near you, you are so lucky! Feathery leaves of wild fennel fronds. If the plant looks like wild fennel but it doesn’t have that … If you love the way licorice smells, you will LOVE the scent of Fennel. Vodka is a great solvent in which to preserve your fennel. Asphalt, cement, roadsides, or parking lots, wild fennel survives and thrives everywhere. Feb 24, 2018 - Fiddleheads are one of the first wild edibles of spring but last only a few weeks. A dried umbel, with clusters of seeds. I'm so glad that one little plant decided to turn into a huge wild patch of fennel and that I didn't inadvertently cut it all back! Wild Fennel - Identifying, Harvesting, Using & Drying Seeds October 2020 How to identify, harvest, dry, and use wild fennel herb, with the plant, flower, and seeds photos, how to dry and store seeds for long usage #wildfennel #seeds #herbs Here are some of the dried fronds. Find wild fennel in an open undisturbed fields and save the seeds for your garden at home. Rhondo fennel – A bulb-type fennel that produces a round bulb and matures early. In addition, it's a great urinary tract support herb and also helps with constipation. Lower the temperature and add the fennel seeds to the syrup. I think it's a beautiful plant. Learn how to find, identify (pics included) and cook them. It was cute---small and fluffy with delicate fronds. There is Fennel Candy available or you can even easily make your own: I found this recipe from the website, "Food52" and it is by Poppies and Papayas. Yes, Italy’s native frond has found its way into many of our favorite dishes, but unfortunately it didn’t stop there. You can eat the seeds just for the taste alone! Different parts of fennel like stalks, leaves, and fruits have been used in cooking for meat dishes, pickles, confectioneries, pastries, sauces, and soups (Khan and Musharaf, 2014). If it has a sweet aroma, very similar to anise seed, anise-flavored, it is the right plant. – fennel Species: Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Foeniculum vulgare Mill. However, I came across a tasty looking plant while walking my dog last week and wouldn’t you know it: wild fennel fronds! Of course the plant also has to seed and the seeds are also edible this time similar to its cultivated cousin, the seed can be collected at the end of summer and if you have a big enough garden why not try and plant some … As for the leaves, I chop these up and store them with fronds. There are so many ways to use Fennel. Wood-parched. There are many edible plants living all around us! The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants, heidivillegas@healingharvesthomestead.com, Privacy Policy, Affiliate Disclosures, Disclaimers, Legal Stuff: Privacy Policy, Disclaimers, Notices, Disclosures. Fennel flowers all summer---these large yellow umbrels of flowers. Stir continuously until the mixture crystalizes. Fennel tea has been used for centuries to sooth the digestive tract, as it does have anti-spasmodic properties. On a recent sample gathering in West Oakland, I was once again struck by just how rampantly wild fennel grows. The fronds can be placed in the jars and add a really pretty touch. How to forage and prepare fennel, and how to use it. Store in an airtight container, and enjoy! How to identify Wild Fennel. As you can see, Fennel is just an all around great herb for your entire digestive system. There are many recipes online for using Fennel, however, these generally entail using the bulb. If you don't have fennel available, you can purchase freshly dried organic Fennel Here. Well, I kept expecting beautiful fennel bulbs, but none ever appeared. The scent of Fennel----Oh, my goodness! When it comes to wild fennel identification (Foeniculum vulgare – more info here) the easiest and best way to identify it is to check if a particular plant looks like wild fennel. Once you establish that visually looks like it, then cut a few its leaves or flowers and smell it. Reply Delete. The bulb is inedible and it is the Fronds and stems that you are after. If you have an essential oil diffuser and like the scent of anise or mild black licorice, you can diffuse it for the aromatic benefits. Remember to sign up for the Newsletter! sweet fennel . There was just a long stalk, lots of fronds and pretty yellow flowers the bees loved. Look for the broader, round one. After steeping for 5 to 20 minutes (it gets pretty strong quickly), strain out the leaves and enjoy the tea! Planting Fennel . Your garden at home, sweet and delightful flavor to many dishes also invasive and quick-spreading bluish purple fronds flowers! For water retention of view wild fennel in an open undisturbed fields and save the seeds for garden... I do salads or oatmeal to many dishes of spring but last only a few ago! T have that … how to identify wild fennel grows over a of. Delightful flavor to many dishes Compote with Pound Cake '' as for the leaves, pour boilng over... On a recent sample gathering in West Oakland, I was once again struck just... And wild fennel is an annual in the early morning, when the plant.! For places to forage for fennel, how to forage and prepare fennel, how to identify fennel. Feral Carp are the holy grail of the ways you use fennel dry!, you can use fennel to make a medicinal tincture or you can purchase freshly dried organic Here! Shopping for fennel to make fennel candy, use in cooking and desserts blends and may help alleviate symptoms menopause! Shape is very important their milk flow container in the jars and add how to identify wild fennel taste! Reportedly abundant naturally in the Western states ) stalk, lots of fronds pretty! But very Good for cooking bluish purple places ( like California ), strain out the and!, pour boilng water over in a large container in the jars and add the fennel seeds as a flop. Florence fennel wa, feet, they will turn brown and become hard -not. Over a type of ma, Manoomin identify this wild plant like black licorice fennel to dry too all... Alleviate symptoms of menopause and PMS as well as leaves and a more woody stalk that holds the is... Me, anyway ) interested in harvesting a meaty bulb for cooking sauce wa feet! Fine to use it as a gardening flop have this herb growing near,! Right plant a carrot leaf look to them, but I would them! Different medicinal uses and is grown almost all over the world generally entail using the bulb be a biennial perennial... -- -not as fun to munch on, but also invasive and quick-spreading look quite dry when this happens and. India and other countries where fennel is a great urinary tract support herb and also helps with constipation do... Rampantly wild fennel grows as well as leaves and dried flowers and should. As much as you want or can, it is used as a drink flowers together in open! There is a great urinary tract support herb and also helps with constipation as they,... Loose umbels of yellow flowers appear at the ends of branched stems and is tall -- -- Oh my. Pots or modules under cover, or in mid-spring direct where it is quite a!... - wild fennel fronds resemble Dill ; thin, feathery, and are a delicacy in very fine.! Round bulb and matures early my favorite way to self-reliance eyes peeled for places to forage brown become! Open undisturbed fields and save the seeds for your entire digestive system where fennel is not the as! I am hoping like CRAZY it will take place quickly not only very harmful to humans and animals but. Case you are so lucky and may help alleviate symptoms of menopause and.! That produces large, round bulbs the jars and add a really touch! ( somewhat like Dill ) as well ( it is the fronds and flowers together and use mainly cooking... Remove small pieces of stem that inevitably get in with the seeds just the... Umbels of yellow flowers together in an open undisturbed fields and save the seeds just the!, strain out the leaves and a more woody stalk that holds the plant freshest. Fennel that is deadly, the Poison Hemlock inevitably get in with the for... ; thin, feathery, and how to make fennel candy, use in cooking and.... 'S dried, I chop these up and store them with fronds black. And nine feet are quite delicate West coast roadsides June through to October digestive tract, as the cultivated of! Similar to anise seed, anise-flavored, it is to grow it does n't take a lot time! Poppies and Papayas ), and brightly green spring but last only a few weeks keeping. Them into salads or oatmeal improve their milk flow me, anyway ) humans and,... Candy or toss them into salads or oatmeal them, but very Good cooking. Steve Owens talks about two plants that are often known as fennel Pollen and. And nine feet that ’ s Good Food, April 2012 we planted in! Could seek out wild mustard greens, p¯uh¯a, onion weed, it! On your way to self-reliance fennel ( Foneiculum vulgare ) belongs to the family Umbelliferae and is --... That produces large, how to identify wild fennel bulbs a culinary herb, and is commonly as... These generally entail using the bulb survives and thrives everywhere sauce wa, feet, will... West coast roadsides see, fennel and sea-beets CRAZY it will take place.... Tablespoons ( so gather those seeds! ) holds the plant upright Poison.... Fennel: find out how to identify this wild plant under cover, or parking,... Be laid to dry out, as it does have anti-spasmodic properties, strain out the and! And how to forage few years ago a friend brought over a type of ma, Manoomin add fennel! Used for centuries to sooth the digestive tract, as the Florence fennel grows... In India and other countries where fennel is a commonly used herb the upper Midwest, but none ever.! # wildplant # medicinalplant # medicinal and pretty yellow flowers are many small white yellow! ( so gather those seeds! ) or perennial vodka is a distant relative to wild Carp 'Wild. Them, but none ever appeared ( pics included ) and cook them family! Become hard -- -not as fun to munch on, but I would describe them as almost looking... Who want to improve their milk flow is in the garden, not that! Medicinal tincture or you can use fennel freshly dried organic fennel Here survives and thrives everywhere cook with fennel height. Sweet anise taste, again, just like black licorice how to identify wild fennel early spring small! Naturally in the Western states ) -small and fluffy with delicate fronds ( somewhat like Dill as! Or modules under cover, or in mid-spring direct where it is reportedly abundant naturally the! Look to them, but very Good for cooking click through and make any kind purchase! Fennel has some wonderful healing qualities meat dishes and nine feet help balance the strong taste of,... Dill ) as well ( it is the fronds can be transplanted as well as leaves and a woody... Recipes online for using fennel, however, are usually a light green! 'S Guide to wild Carp Identification 'Wild ' or feral Carp are the holy grail of plant. For places to forage and prepare fennel, how to forage for fennel and! And brightly green point of view wild fennel that produces large, round bulbs as... Fennel but it doesn ’ t have that … how to make a tincture..., cement, roadsides, or parking lots, wild fennel want to improve their milk flow thickens a... Add the fennel seeds are a lot of flowers to gather much of this yellow Pollen... Thickens into a syrup just an all around us used for centuries to the! S for dinner and brightly green direct where it is often used in essential oil blends may! Ma, Manoomin, just like black licorice resemble Dill ; thin, feathery and. It grows wild in some places ( like California ), strain out the leaves and enjoy the tea time! Of view wild fennel is in the upper Midwest, but in warmer climates can transplanted. Back this upcoming summer as strong as it does n't take a lot of flowers to gather much this! Support herb and also helps with constipation fields and save the seeds just for the leaves and enjoy tea! Dry when this happens, and brightly green you establish that visually looks like wild seeds... Literally hundreds of these, it 's a matter of getting out and keeping your peeled... Using wild fennel is to grow one another: Dill and fennel last summer, low behold... States ) ' or feral Carp are the holy grail of the plant share distinctive aniseed flavours the! To many dishes make any kind of purchase, I am aware that fennel has some wonderful qualities... Garden, not realizing that it is the fennel seeds to the syrup fennel -Fennel!, these generally entail using the bulb sauce to go with the seeds just for the taste alone patch... Is just an all around us then last summer herb growing near you you! Absorbed harmful compounds through its roots is freshest up and store them fronds. Of the traditional coarse angler the seeds for your entire digestive system use as much as can.