Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’ – Bronze Fennel

Description

Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’ – Bronze Fennel.

Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’ – Bronze Fennel. (Apiaceae, Umbelliferae)

Clumps of beautiful feathery bronze leaves build up to make impressive mounds that are a perfect foil for bold leaves such as Hostas. The stems grow 5-7 ft high and are topped with delicate yellow umbels that are equally ornamental. It can be wise to dead-head to prevent unwanted seeding and has the added advantage that you can collect the seed for use in cooking

The name derives from the Latin foenum = hay. This was corupted in the middle ages to Fanculum and gives rise to the common name of Fenkel.

The strongly aromatic foliage, which smells of aniseed, has a long history of medicinal and herbal use being noted for its restorative powers on vision, possibly drawn from observations of snakes rubbing their eyes on it. It is also reported snakes can eat it before shedding their skins.

Above the lower plants it towers,  The Fennel with its yellow flowers;  And in an earlier age than ours  was gifted with the wondrous powers   Lost vision to restore.

– Henry Longfellow

William Coles , Natures Paradise (1650)  reports that it has powers to make more gaunt those ‘..that are grown fat.’ . William Coles is known for his Doctrine of Signatures an influential work claiming nature guides us to the medicinal use of  a plant through an aspect of its form .

In medieval times the leaves were hung over doors with St John’s Wort to ward off evil spirits.

These powers might be of some doubt, but it is reliably great in a  ratatouille.

Florence (vegetable) fennel is derived from the annual variety F.vulgare var.dulce

(Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’ – Bronze Fennel, Fenkel, Wild Fennel, Sweet Fennel)

Native to temperate Europe.

Originally placed in Anethum with Dill by Linnaeus, it was later moved to its own Genus.