Organic 'Bronze' Fennel
Organic 'Bronze' fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) from the seed company Gaia, an aromatic heritage fennel with purple foliage and a delicate aniseed scent
'Bronze' fennel is a remarkable heritage variety prized for its delicate, bronze-colored, serrated foliage , which is light, airy, and highly decorative in the garden. Its flavor blends anise, hazelnut, and hyssop , making it both a refined culinary herb and a traditional medicinal plant. Vigorous, cold-hardy, and highly attractive to bees and pollinators, it lends a unique texture and color to the vegetable garden. Harvested young for its leaves or later for its fragrant bulb, it offers exceptional versatility.
Companion plants : Dill, Cucumber, Nasturtium
Nefarious plants : Tomato, Bean, Coriander, Kohlrabi, Wormwood
Spread/Habit : Airy clump, low-growing bulb
Plant height : 60 to 90 cm
Quantity per packet : 50 seeds
Certification : Environmentally friendly product
Special features : Aromatic bronze foliage, anise-nut flavor, medicinal, attracts pollinators, very decorative
Leaf color : Purplish bronze
Texture/flavor : Aniseed, sweet, nutty
Cold tolerance : Down to -12°C
Farming method
After two weeks of stratification , soak the seeds for 12 to 24 hours in lukewarm water. Sow indoors four to six weeks before the last frost, or sow directly outdoors from mid-spring to late summer . Sow the seeds 6 mm deep. Transplant with great care: the roots are delicate and do not like to be disturbed.
Place in full sun (level 3) and water moderately (level 2). Space plants 30 to 45 cm apart, with 90 cm between rows. Germination takes 7 to 10 days at 10–21 °C .
Harvesting and preservation
Harvest when the bulbs reach 7 to 10 cm (3–4″) in diameter. Cut 5 cm (2″) above the bulb for better stability.
Store briefly: fennel can be kept for 3–4 days at 0 °C and 95% humidity — it dries out quickly in the refrigerator.
Usage ideas
• In salads , thinly sliced, for its aniseed crunch
• In a pan with citrus fruits, fish, pasta or poultry
• As a digestive medicinal infusion
• As an aromatic garnish in stews
• As an ornamental plant thanks to its bronze foliage
'Bronze' fennel is a refined, aromatic and decorative variety, ideal for combining culinary utility, traditional medicine and beauty in the vegetable garden.
