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Buchanan's Native PlantsBuchanan's Native Plants

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        • Buchanan’s Native Plants has been serving Houston gardeners since 1986. Located in the historic Houston Heights, the garden center is dedicated to native plants and organic gardening.  You will find the best selections of hardy natives as well as perennials, herbs, vegetables, trees, shrubs & roses — all suited to the Houston climate.

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Home » Plant Library » Herbs » Bronze Fennel
Bronze Fennel | Foeniculum vulgare 'Rubrum'

Bronze Fennel

Botanical name: Foeniculum vulgare ‘Rubrum’

An ornamental herb grown for its airy, finely cut bronze foliage that matures to a greenish-bronze; a standout in the border with its wispy, smoky look, and is also great when massed.

  • Characteristics
  • Features and Attributes
  • Planting and Growing

Characteristics

Hardiness zone 4a
Flower color chartreuse
Foliage type deciduous *
Plant form over mound
Mature height 30 inches (4 feet with the flowers)
Spread 3 feet
Light requirements

full sun to partial shade

Moisture requirements

average to moist

Plant origin import

* deciduous = loses leaves in winter

Bronze Fennel has masses of beautiful chartreuse flat-top flowers held atop the stems in mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive fragrant ferny leaves emerge coppery-bronze in spring, turning bluish-green in color with hints of coppery-bronze throughout the season.

This is an herbaceous perennial herb with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

Insects, Self-Seeding

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Bronze Fennel is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Herb Gardens

Edible Qualities

Bronze Fennel is a perennial herb that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. The fragrant ferny bluish-green leaves with hints of coppery-bronze which emerge coppery-bronze in spring are usually harvested from early summer to early fall. The leaves have a savory taste.

The leaves are most often used in the following ways:

Seasoning

Planting and Growing

Bronze Fennel will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 4 years.

This plant is quite ornamental as well as edible, and is as much at home in a landscape or flower garden as it is in a designated herb garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom variety.

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Buchanan’s Native Plants
611 East 11th Street
Houston, Texas 77008

713-861-5702

Hours: 9 am – 6 pm
Open Every Day – Monday – Sunday

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