Parsley, Fennel, Dill And The Madman

What’s with the Madman and Parsley, Fennel and Dill? I’m sure you are all familiar with these three herbs. Parsley, with its fresh peppery taste, Fennel with its licorice taste and Dill with its, you know dill taste. These are some of the essential plants in a culinary herb garden. But they are also essential plants in all the madman’s gardens.

So why is the Hot Pepper King of Farmington with his burn-your-mouth peppers interested in herbs with a delicate flavor? Actually, he doesn’t care about the flavor. He likes them because they share one common trait.

Host Plants

All three serve as host plants for the native Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) and this is where our plant native plants for the native pollinators’ philosophy takes a minor detour. The Black Swallowtails were here long before the Europeans showed up with their cooking herbs.

These butterflies relied on the native Apiaceaes for egg laying. Unfortunately, most of the native Apiaceaes are either wetland or woodland plants and the madman doesn’t’ want to wade through swamps on caterpillar patrol. Three native plants you can use in a garden are Sweet Cicely (Anise root), Purple Stem Angelica and Golden Alexander. But we look the other way and use non-native herbs to attract these Black Swallowtails. If you want native plants, check out these two sources: Dropseed Native Landscapes and Prairie Moon Nursery.

Parsley

Parsley is one of the most well-known herbs. It hails from the Mediterranean and its use dates back to the Third Century B.C. As a biennial, Parsley sticks around in our garden for two growing seasons. During the first season, it produces leaves and food storage organs (roots). In the second season, it will produce flowers and seeds. The taste will be somewhat bitter as the plant spends energy to produce seeds. Sometimes Parsley will die back during the winter and resprout the following spring. Every once in a while, the plant survives the winter giving us a fresh source of flavorful leaves.

Most of us are familiar with the flat leaf and curly leaf varieties. But there is also a third, lesser-known variety called Hamburg Parsley or Root Parsley. Flat Leaf Parsleys (Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum) are mostly used in cooked dishes. Many consider this the tastiest of the Parsleys, but don’t use just the leaves, stems are just as tasty.

Curly Parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. crispum) is more commonly used as a garnish and is sometimes served between courses to clear the palate. Thanks to its more compact growth habit, Curly Parsley is becoming a welcome addition to ornamental gardens.

Lesser Known

Hamburg Parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum) is grown for its root – similar to Parsnip. This Parsley is more common in the Old World than the United States. We haven’t grown it, and most likely haven’t tasted it, but it is out there. All Parsleys are rich in Vitamins A and C. We love finding a good-for-you herb we can throw into summer salads. The flowers produce a strong scent that attracts predator wasps and other beneficial insects. This makes Parsley an excellent companion plant in any garden.

Fennel

On the other hand, Fennel is not such a good companion in the garden. Its allelopathic qualities can harm nearby plants, especially Solanaeceas. So, don’t plant it near your Tomatoes, Eggplants or Peppers. But it is worth planting the anise-flavored Fennel. Much like Parsley, there is a type grown for its leaves and a type grown for its bulb (although it grows above not below ground). Grow Common Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) for its feathery leaves, Florence Fennel for its bulb.

Also coming from the Mediterranean, Fennel has been around even longer than Parsley. It is one of the earliest medicinal herbs that happens to taste good. We won’t talk about its long history of use in medicine, magic and culinaria, but its seeds are often used to stave off hunger. We use it to attract the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.

Common Fennel

Believe it or not, the Bronze Fennel (F. vulgare ‘Bronze’), a cultivar of Common Fennel was introduced into our garden in 1980. From that single plant, it has self-seeded and moved around in our garden until finding a home in a perennial bed.

Initially the madman hated my Fennel because its flowers attracted large numbers of stinging insects. Then one summer, he spotted a caterpillar, then another, and another…you know how the story goes. He now calls the Bronze Fennel our nursery plant.

Fennel is a short-lived perennial with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. Common Fennel and Bronze Fennel, a cultivar, are grown for leaves and flavorful seeds. Both readily self-sow, but have very deep roots that make it difficult to transplant.

Florence Fennel

On the other hand, Florence Fennel which is still considered F. vulgare is grown as an annual for its above-ground bulb. Again, we have never grown this type of Fennel – nor have we ever cooked it (you can thank our mothers for that). But we hear it’s extremely tasty. It requires a very fertile soil to produce large, tasty bulbs. It grows best in warm, wet climates – preferring never to dry out. The bulbs don’t store well so use them quickly. Sounds like more effort than the madman likes to extend, doesn’t it?

Dill

Dill is much more to his liking. Native to North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, Dill (Anethum graveloens) is so easy to grow that it is a staple of any culinary garden and a mainstay of the madman’s garden.

Dill cultivars are available in two broad classes. One is used for leaf production – the other for seed production: both leaves and seeds are used for cooking. A word of caution if you plan to grow Dill. If you don’t harvest the seeds, you’ll find Dill all over the place. In fact, the madman rarely plants his initial crop of Dill, relying on volunteers he carefully moves when they are very young. Just be careful to keep Fennel and Dill away from each other – they easily cross-pollinate and that can come with some surprises.

No Bad Choices Here

No matter what cultivar you plant, you can’t go wrong – after all, Dill is Dill. Dill likes full sun and well-drained soil. It grows best from seed and is not real fussy when it comes to fertilizer. Since it goes to seed in about 6 weeks, be good about succession sowing.

For a nice supply of greens, look to varieties like ‘Fernleaf’ with its compact growth habit or ‘Dukat’ with its bright green color and its slow bolt rate. If you want seeds, try ‘Bouquet’ or ‘Long Island Mammoth’. The madman doesn’t care what variety is in his garden because they all attract the Black Swallowtail Butterfly.

For the past week he has been out there looking for larvae. None yet, but it is time for lemonade.