Common Fennel

This is no dainty herb to simply snip, but foliage to roll in, take armfuls of, and cook with. It is used in volume as a vegetable.

Whether it is pushing through cracks in the sidewalks, poking uninvited into polite gardens, climbing over sere hillsides, or cultivated in neat rows on commercial herb plantations, on a warm day you can smell common fennel from a block away. The powerful penetrating aroma (along with a taste to match) is what first sets it apart from Florence fennel.