A must have if you like Middle Eastern or Spanish and Mexican cuisines
Anise or aniseed is a hardy annual heirloom native to the Mediterranean, Europe, Western Asia. Anise is a tall, bushy plant with feathery leaves and form clusters of small white flowers that produce aniseeds. The seeds and leaves have a warm, somewhat liquorice flavor. Aniseeds are and have been an essential ingredient in the Middle Eastern Cuisine for centuries. It's used in baking dough and is the key ingredient of the drink "Arak". It is also used to relieve bad breath when chewing on the seed and to relieve gastrointestinal problems. It is very common to see families drink Aniseed infusion after a meal or when they have stomach ache. Aniseeds are also used in the Spanish and Mexican cuisines and often mixed with meat or cruciferous vegetables and even hot chocolate. Always consult a medical professional or a qualified herbalist before using this plant medicinally.
Scientific Name: pimpinella anisum
Plant Life Cycle: perennial widely cultivated as annual
Optimal Germination Temperature: 21C
Germination time in days: 21-40 days
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil requirement: Average soil. Moist soil.
Sowing and cultivation: Sow 8 weeks before last frost date. Transplant outdoors following the last frost when soil temperature is at 21C
