Ferula communis

Giant Fennel Apiaceae

 One of the great architectural plants of the Mediterranean, Ferula communis produces an astonishing rosette of finely divided foliage before sending up a towering, almost impossibly straight flowering stem, sometimes reaching 3m or more. In early summer, immense branching umbels of bright yellow flowers crown the stems, creating the sort of silhouette that makes ordinary fennel look like it has been kept on a strict diet. After flowering, the plant gradually dies back, leaving the impressive dried stems and seedheads.

Native from the Mediterranean region eastwards to the Arabian Peninsula and south through tropical East Africa, it grows in dry grassland, rocky slopes, open woodland and scrub. Kew records it from southern Europe and North Africa through Turkey and the Levant to Yemen, and from the Horn of Africa south to Tanzania. 

It is an outstanding plant for hot, dry, well-drained soils, particularly where its scale can be appreciated. Allow plenty of space and avoid rich, permanently wet ground.

SUMMER DORMANT

Height: 2–3m
Spread: 1–1.5m
Flowering: May–July
Hardiness: H5
Aspect: Full sun
Soil: Dry to moderately fertile, sharply drained