New growth

I was fascinated by how this "fluffy" new head was emerging from the last stem. It's like a Russian doll opening up to reveal another inside… (Or birth of a "Veggie Tales" character?!?)

Awaiting confirmation that this is a common fennel, “Foeniculum vulgare,” which produces the familiar anise-flavored spice (fennel seed).

From the Missouri Botanical Garden, “Foeniculum vulgare (common fennel) is an upright, branching perennial that is typically grown in vegetable and herb gardens for its anise-flavored foliage and seeds, both of which are commonly harvested for use in cooking. It somewhat resembles a very large dill plant. It grows to 3-5' (less frequently to 6') tall and features feathery, compound, aromatic, yellow-green leaves with needle-like segments and tiny yellow flowers in large, flattened, compound umbels. Flowers bloom in mid- to late summer, and are followed by aromatic seeds. Plants have escaped gardens and naturalized in many parts of North America. Flowers are very attractive to butterflies. Fennel is a larval plant for certain swallowtail butterflies” http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b902

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Foeniculum_vulgare&rank=binomial

This is a close-up of a similar shot at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Apiaceae_Foeniculum_vulgare_94847.html
The caption is “Sheathing leaf bases and young leaf.”

Photo taken at SIUC Plant Biology Greenhouse, http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/facilities/plant-biology-facilities/greenhouse/index.php

1 year ago (“Saint David”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-01-09
2 years ago (“Back to a ‘routine’? [SOOC]”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-01-09
3 years ago (“Three rows in a row!”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-01-09
4 years ago (“Thom’s Jerrys”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-01-09

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[Lindy]

It looks like the top of an ear of corn. Which part do people eat ?

[Thom Mitchell]

@lwain I only know of "fennel seed" as a food product we derive from fennel, so we'd have to wait for the plant to produce fruit and seeds. Same family as dill, celery and cumin; see http://phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Apiaceae_Foeniculum_vulgare_7318.html

[Danette Thompson]

Quite fascinating.

[Danette Thompson]

Oh, btw, you can eat the fennel bulb. Looks like a large onion.

[Thom Mitchell]

@danette And does it taste like the seeds and foliage??

[Danette Thompson]

I can't tell you. I only cooked it for the first time last year. I believe I liked the recipe. It's just been a crazy year. I want to make it again.

[GaryW]

Very neat photo. Great detail.