fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
RHS Plants for Pollinators
USDA zones4 to 9
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size4 to 6 feet tall1.5 to 3 feet wide
- Habit
- Erect
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- Foliage color
- Gold/yellow, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is an herb for borders, pollinator gardens, and containers. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun and dry to moist soil of most types. Yellow flowers open in early to late summer and again in early to late autumn, and butterflies, bees, and birds visit them. It sits low on the menu for deer. The plant is fragrant and drought tolerant.
Pairs well with Nasturtium, African marigold, and Calendula.
Native range
Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Asia, and 13 more places. See all 17
Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Asia, Africa, Baleares, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Eritrea, Gulf States, Kriti, NW. Balkan Pen., Sardegna, Sicilia, Tadzhikistan, and Türkiye.