Fennel is quite the problem in CA, we had tons of problems with it. There are only so many times you can go out to the open space, pick it, and cook with it. Oh, and allelopathy.

Dan

Maybe I'll just pitch them in the compost pile. Dan, I read through most of the link you gave. I found this page a bit more informative for a layperson. http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/ipcw/pages/detailreport.cfm@usernumber=51&surveynumber=182.php

Certainly Colorado doesn't need another noxious weed.

Greg

I didn't realize they were in the invasive category, but I have a couple other comments about them.

I had never eaten fennel root (or whatever you call "that" part that you eat!) so I decided to try a couple last year! They grew well---and I sure couldn't tell that they were having any effect on the tomatoes or anything else near them---BUT, they're an absolute Wasp Magnet! As soon as they started blooming I couldn't get anywhere near my veggie garden! And I'm allergic to Hymenoptera, so it was even more freaky to have THAT many wasps around. I went out there late one day and cut all the flowers off, but that stuff is DETERMINED to bloom, and within a week, it was starting to bloom again! I actually had the wasps build a nest up under the highest peak of my roof (two stories) so they could stay close to their buffet! I had to stand on the tippy-top of a 5' step ladder with a brand new can of wasp spray to get them! AND THEN, after trying to grow them flowerlessly all summer, comes fall, and there's NO "bulb" big enough to even eat! So all that for nothing! I will NOT be planting them again!

I DO have one of the bronze fennels in my perennial bed! I started that because I love the "fluffy, bronzy" look, but I've discovered that that only lasts about a month---and then they spike to bloom and they're not pretty at all anymore---and---here come the wasps! The one I have is in the Pretty Stage right now, so I'm keeping it till the swap, and then it's outta here! It's already starting to show signs of spiking. Those suckas are REALLY determined to bloom! I'm HOPING for less wasps this year, tho with as many as were attracted to this area last year, I'm kinda worried that there might still be a bunch of them hanging around! Wasp Spray at the ready!

One more thing! I read this multiple places when I was researching to try to grow it, and as near as I can tell, it does cross pollinate with dill. I'm not sure which "direction" is affected, but I think it was the fennel that gets the dill scent rather than the other way around. So if you were to grow some, and have dill nearby, you probably wouldn't want to collect seed!

If they reseed that easily, I guess I'm lucky I was keeping the flowers cut off last year! Some day I'll buy a fennel bulb to try it!

Skybird

Was nostalgically watching the Tour of California yesterday, and you could see it starting to pop up all along the roadsides. Part of riding those roads is the occasional smell as you go by. One of my best friends married an Italian long ago and she used to use fennel often - just a little goes a long way. The BH likes to shave for slaw.

Dan