Foeniculum Vulgare
Not your garden standard fennel here… Huge feathery golden green foliage with a very sweet and licorice like flavor erupt early in spring, followed by a tall stalk with huge yellow umbel flowers that just vibrate with pollinators and beneficial insects.  

All parts edible and sweet, great for salads, teas, dried, etc.  The seeds are potent and add interest to winter dishes, desserts or can be tinctured to make strong licorice drinks.  

Great backdrop in a perennial flower garden, or woodland edge installations.  With it’s deep powerful tap root and intense aromatics, this is also a wonderful candidate as a companion planting option for establishment of high value trees and shrubs.

Be aware that it is quite viable from seed so it can easily form a thicket if seeds aren’t harvested (that can be a great thing, but in an annual garden it can be a design challenge!)

Size:
About 4’, upwards to 5’ or even 6’ in very prime conditions

Site Preference:
Very hardy plant, can deal with dry or rough soil as it punches down deep with it’s tap root.  Enjoys full sun and rich soil but can handle a wider range.

Hardiness:
Zone 5B or colder? (documentation lists it as zone 7, but our 5B area has had them reliably come back year after year)