Flower profile
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Fennel is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in June–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Fennel is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea coast and on riverbanks.
- It belongs to the Apiaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 36 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 23,191 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #19 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Fennel gift ideas
Handmade fennel gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Fennel art print
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Fennel greeting card
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Fennel mug
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Fennel earrings
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Fennel embroidery pattern
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Fennel sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in June–December.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
ASPCA's entry “Fennel” (Foeniculum vulgare) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records fennel in 36 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Ventura, Yolo.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile FOVU.
- iNaturalist, Foeniculum vulgare: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Fennel (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Foeniculum vulgare (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
- Photo: Anne Parsons via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.