Gardening Plant Encyclopedia Vegetable Fennel Bulb By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on March 8, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email In This Article View All In This Article Harvesting Varieties Avid cooks will enjoy growing fennel. The bulb, the feathery foliage, and even the seeds are excellent for European-inspired cooking.The bulb and stems have an anise (licorice-like) flavor that adds interest to raw salads or vegetable appetizers served with a dip. The leaves are also excellent in salads or served snipped atop fish or chicken. And the seed adds a distinct flavor to Southern Italian-inspired red sauces.Florence fennel, also called bulb fennel, differs from the perennial herb also called fennel in that Florence fennel forms a swollen base at ground level. For best bulb flavor, mound mulch around the base of the plant when bulbs reach 2 inches in diameter. Fennel Bulb Overview Genus Name Foeniculum vulgare azoricum Common Name Fennel Bulb Plant Type Vegetable Light Sun Height 1 to 3 feet Width 12 to 16 inches Propagation Seed Pruning and Harvesting Begin harvesting leaves when the plant reaches 18 inches tall by snipping tender shoots with scissors. When bulbs reach 3 inches in diameter, dig the whole plant and store bulbs in the refrigerator until needed. The bulbs become tough and stringy if left in the ground too long. More Varieties of Fennel 'Zefo Fino' fennel Foeniculum vulgare azoricum 'Zefo Fino' is an early maturing, bolt-resistant variety good for warm-summer regions. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit