Common, Anise Seeds

Common Anise Seed

Licorice-flavored seeds season baking, tea, and savory dishes
Feathery foliage adds delicate texture to herb gardens
Small white umbels attract beneficial insects
Harvest dry seed heads before seeds begin scattering

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Pimpinella anisum

Days to maturity

130 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

200 Seeds

About Common, Anise Seed, Anise Seed

Anise is an annual/biennial herb that produces little, dainty white flowers and seed that has a refreshing licorice flavor. The small 1.5-2 feet tall plants have feather like green leaflets that are great for making aromatic tea. Anise seed produced from the plants can be used whole or ground in doughs or fillings of baked goods or brewed to make a delicate licorice-flavored tea.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/4"

Days to Germination

7–14 days

Germination Type

A - No Pretreatment

In-row plant spacing

12-18"

Plant profile

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

24 inches

Growth Habits

Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

938

Color

Pink, Purple

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Growing Season

Warm-Season Crop

Before Planting

Anise needs a long, warm season and dislikes transplanting. Choose a sheltered full-sun bed with loose, moderately fertile soil, remove weeds thoroughly, and plan to sow directly after frost.

Planting

Anise may be started indoors 6–10 weeks before the last frost; types that dislike root disturbance are better direct-sown after conditions become suitable. Keep the medium lightly and consistently moist until emergence, never saturated. Thin or transplant seedlings to stand 6–12 inches apart.

Watering

Keep the shallow seedbed consistently moist until stands are established. Thereafter, water when the upper soil dries, giving particular attention during flowering and seed fill while avoiding humid, constantly wet foliage.

Fertilizer

A thin layer of compost before sowing is generally enough. Do not push anise with nitrogen: rank growth delays seed maturity and can make the slender stems lodge.

Harvesting

Pick anise leaves sparingly before flowering. For spice seed, wait until umbels turn gray-brown and seeds become firm, then cut heads on a dry morning before they shatter. Finish drying upside down inside paper bags, rub out the seed, and store only when thoroughly dry.

Tips

Thin promptly so plants receive light and airflow, and keep the bed weed-free while seedlings are small. In short-season areas, use black mulch or a protected warm site to help seed heads mature.

Pests & Diseases

Powdery mildew, downy mildew, Alternaria-type leaf blights, and root rot are the principal concerns. Watch for white coating, yellow patches, dark expanding spots, or sudden wilting. Grow in open, well-drained ground, rotate away from related herbs, water at soil level, remove infected residue, and avoid harvesting or handling wet foliage.

Aphids cluster on anise stems and umbels; parsleyworm caterpillars may consume foliage, and leafhoppers can distort growth. Tolerate limited caterpillar feeding when supporting swallowtail butterflies, rinse away aphids, and remove severely stunted plants. Avoid spraying umbels visited by pollinators.