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Giant Fennel

Ferula

Giant Fennel
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain

Ferula is a genus of about 220 herbaceous perennials from arid Mediterranean to central Asian regions, often called giant fennel though not true fennel. Grow them in dry, well-drained conditions with full sun to part shade.

Family
Apiaceae (Carrot family)
Light
Shade
Water
Water sparingly and let the soil dry out fully between waterings.
Soil
Sandy or gritty, very well-drained soil.
Temperature
Tolerates hot, dry summers and cold winters in many species; frost hardiness varies by species.
How easy
Moderate

About

Ferula (from Latin ferula 'rod') is a genus of about 220 species of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region east to central Asia, mostly growing in arid climates. Many plants of this genus, especially F. communis, are referred to as "giant fennel", although they are not fennel in the strict sense.

Uses

The Roman spice laserpicium probably came from a species of Ferula, either an extinct one or Ferula tingitana or more recently Ferula drudeana, though other identities have been suggested. The Romans called the hollow light rod made from this plant a ferula (compare also fasces, judicial birches). Such rods were used for walking sticks, splints, for stirring boiling liquids, and for corporal punishment.

Other Ferula plants

Ferula ammoniacum · Asafoetida · Giant Fennel · Ferula drudeana · Asafetida · Hermon Giant Fennel · Muskroot

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ferula by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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