Florence Fennel - Foeniculum vulgare dulce - Butterfly Host Plant
Sweet Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare dulce
Zones: 6-9
Height: Up to 6 feet
Plant Spacing: 12 inches
Light Requirements: Full sun
Water Requirements: Medium
Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained soil
Host Plant For: Black Swallowtail, Anise Swallowtail
Starter Plants are not large enough to feed larvae. One 4" potted Fennel will feed 1 larvae.Fennel is an aromatic herb commonly used in cooking. It also has been used for medicinal purposes. As a perennial, it will die back in the winter and regrow every spring (Zones 5-11). The bright yellow flowers will bloom during the summer, and Fennel will quickly spread by self-seeding if spent flowers are not removed. The leaves are thin and thread-like, with a feathery texture.
Native to Europe, Sweet Fennel is now naturalized throughout most of North America after it was introduced in the 18th century. It is also commonly grown in kitchen gardens throughout the world. The Anise Swallowtail and the Black Swallowtail Butterfly use Fennel as a host plant during the larval stage.
