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Anyone know what this is please?

Hi all
I sewed some carrot seeds. Only one of them germinated - or so I thought. As it grew it initially looked like a carrot but now I’m sure it is not. Any idea what it is?

Posts

  • FritillaryFritillary Posts: 498
    It looks like the herb, fennel. How tall is it. 🙂
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,946
    edited August 2022
    Looks like fennel too me too. Does it smell/taste aniseedy?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 656
    Dill?
    East Anglia
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,946
    Another possibility … but I think it looks too ‘robust’ for dill … and a bit too glaucous…but of course photos can be deceptive. 
    😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Thank you All for your help as ever  :)
    It’s about 2 feet tall. It does look a bit like Dill. When I squeeze and rub the foliage (can’t really call them leaves), it may sound odd but it initially smells like White Spirit. It also smells a bit like carrot, the really strong ones. At the base of the plant it has what looks like peelable layers, which do seem reminiscent of fennel. I think I’ll dig it out and see
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,946
    If it’s herb fennel (which is what I think it is) it won’t have the fleshy swollen base of the vegetable ‘bulb’ fennel … which is a different strain of fennel … just in case that’s what you were hoping to find when you dig it up. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Yes that’s what I was thinking. Thank You for the clarification. Can the herb be used? 
    One day I’m hoping to meet the crow from below on here too 🤣
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,946
    Oh yes I use the herb fennel in all sorts of dishes … mainly but not exclusively fish dishes … and a sprig or three inside a baked trout is compulsory, didn’t you know?
    and you can harvest the ripe seeds and use them too … marvellous with pork dishes, especially spicy sausagey ones. 

    Back in the day when we did a lot of barbecue-ing I used to save and dry the bigger fennel stems and put them on the charcoal when cooking fish … just adds a bit of flavour to the smokiness 😋 

    I think the Crow from Below knows where he’s best off 😉 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Thank you very much. I’ve got some trout which I have caught so I will give that a try. It’s starting to die off a bit in the heat here. Presumably I can just chop it up and dry it for storage…or freeze it
  • Here is a photo of the seed head it has produced just for  confirmation. The plant has a pungent flavour
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