Plant Guide

Other Names:  Meridian Fennel, Persian Cumin

Description:

This widely used biennial plant produces seeds that are widely used for culinary purposes with a pungent licorice-anise like flavor and aroma; a pretty addition to a garden border with its lovely white flowers and feathery foliage

Edible Qualities

Caraway is a biennial herb that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces brown seeds (technically 'capsules') which are harvested from mid summer to mid fall. The seeds have a savory taste.

The seeds are most often used in the following ways:

• Seasoning

Features & Attributes

Caraway features dainty lightly-scented white lacecap flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to mid summer. Its attractive fragrant threadlike leaves remain green in color throughout the season. It features abundant showy brown capsules from mid summer to mid fall.

This is an herbaceous perennial herb with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Caraway is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Herb Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Caraway will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and tends to be biennial, meaning that it puts on vegetative growth the first year, flowers the second, and then dies.

This plant is typically grown in a designated herb garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Caraway is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.