Anise is a graceful, aromatic annual whose delicate beauty belies the bold flavor contained within its seeds. A member of the carrot family, it sends up fine, feathery foliage and slender stems topped with airy umbels of tiny white flowers. These blossoms invite a host of beneficial insects like hoverflies, bees, and parasitic wasps, adding welcome neighbors to herb and kitchen gardens. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, anise grows with a light, lacy elegance that lends softness to summer beds.
Its seeds, however, are where anise’s true character shines. Warm, sweet, and unmistakably reminiscent of licorice, they have been beloved since antiquity across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and South Asia. In ancient cultures, anise was woven into daily life, mixed into bread, offered in spiced beverages, or carried as a fragrant token of good fortune. Over centuries, herbalists and cooks alike gathered the seeds for comfort-giving teas and aromatic preparations to support digestion and provide a gentle, calming experience for both adults and children.
Anise remains a plant of both charm and purpose. Its seeds are harvested once the umbels dry to a soft brown, and the aroma released during threshing hints at the culinary delights to come. It is appreciated for its gentle growth habit, its pollinator-friendly blooms, and its timeless usefulness in the kitchen that brings a touch of old-world sweetness.