Anise
Anise is a herb in the Apiaceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 3-11. Plants reach harvest about 100–120 days after planting and sit about 6 inches apart.
Varieties
1 from Seeds Now · sorted by days to maturity▸Anise100–120 days
Can tolerate hot temperatures; Direct sow; Grows well in full sun; Grows well with containers; Grows well with raised beds; Matures in <90 days; Start indoors
Anise (Pimpinella anisum), also called Aniseed, is a sweet, aromatic annual in the parsley family. The leaves and flowers are lacy, delicate, and delicious, and plants can grow 2'-3' tall. With a fresh licorice flavor, use as you would Tarragon and Fennel in both savory meat and vegetable dishes, salads and dressings, and sweet baked goods, such as biscotti. Chew the seeds for a natural breath freshener and digestif. Its aromatic seeds are also used for cooking and herbal medicine. You may be familiar with the anise flavor if you've had absinthe, as anise seeds are the basis for this famous alcoholic beverage. Licorice flavor Edible seeds and leaves Culinary and medicinal Good for containers As a companion plant, it attracts pollinators and beneficial insects, and repels aphids, cabbage moths, cabbage white fly, cabbage worms, slugs, and snails, but is strangely irresistible to bears, deer, dogs, and mice. As a medicinal herb, Anise has been used internally to treat bad breath, bloating, constipation, cough, flatulence, hot flashes, indigestion, lack of appetite, migraine headaches, and upset stomach, and externally to treat bronchitis, eye pain, and swelling. ⚠️ Medicinal properties are presented as information only, and are not a recommendation or prescription for use. Consult a medical professional before using any herb medicinally. 📚 Anise Grow Guide
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Plant spacing
In a square-foot bed, space anise about 6 in apart — that fits 4 plants in each 1-foot square (2×2). Wider rows or containers space the same.
Plan your anise planting
Add anise to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate stems in water, or wrap in a damp towel for a few days.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
- Freeze: Freeze chopped in oil or water in ice-cube trays.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Companion planting — with cited sources
From US/Canada cooperative-extension publications and peer-reviewed studies. Evidence-tier dots show how strongly each recommendation is backed: ●●● peer-reviewed mechanism · ●● extension consensus · ● traditional knowledge with a plausible mechanism.
Pairs well with (3)
- Common BeanEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationpredator-attract
Anise's Apiaceae umbels attract predatory and parasitic beneficial insects (hoverflies, lacewings, parasitic wasps) that help control aphids on nearby crops.
Source: S7
- Common CabbageEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationpest-deter
Anise's pungent aromatic oils (terpenes) are traditionally used to help repel aphids and cabbage pests.
Source: S7
- Common TomatoEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationpredator-attract, pollinator-attract
Anise umbels draw aphid predators and pollinators into the vegetable garden.
Source: S7
Sources cited
- S7
- University of Minnesota Extension
Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations
When to feed, prune & water
Attract beneficial insects and protect pollinators
Protection- Routine carePlant insectary flowers and tolerate light pestsstrong evidence — extension confidence
Grow a diversity of flowering plants (including small-flowered umbels and asters) to feed predators and parasitoids, and tolerate low pest numbers so natural enemies have prey to stick around.
- Routine careNever spray open bloomsstrong evidence — extension confidence
Avoid insecticides on flowering plants and apply any needed sprays in the evening when pollinators aren't active, and favor selective products over broad-spectrum ones to spare bees and beneficials.
Mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture
Mulch- Routine careApply organic mulch around plantsstrong evidence — extension confidence
Spread a few inches of straw, shredded leaves, or compost around established plants (keeping it off stems) to hold soil moisture, suppress weeds, and moderate soil temperature; wait until soil has warmed for heat-loving crops.
Plan crop rotation
Rotation- Routine careRotate plant families between bedsstrong evidence — extension confidence
Avoid planting the same family in the same bed in consecutive years (aim for a 3+ year gap), grouping crops by family so soilborne diseases and pests that build up don't carry over to the next susceptible crop.
- Routine careSequence for soil healthmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Follow heavy feeders like tomatoes and brassicas with legumes or a cover crop to support soil fertility and structure, and keep simple notes each year so you can track where each family grew.
Thin crowded seedlings to final spacing
Thinning- Routine careThin to ~2 in spacing, then again later· every 3 wks · ~3 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Crowded carrots stay small and forked. Thin to about 1 in when seedlings are 2-3 in tall, then to 2-3 in a few weeks later. Snip rather than pull to avoid disturbing neighbors.
Clean up debris and sanitize at season end
SanitationUnusual this time of year.
- Routine careRemove spent plants and fallen debrisstrong evidence — extension confidence
Pull and clear old plants, dropped fruit, and leaf litter at season end, since many pests and diseases overwinter in this debris; dispose of diseased material rather than composting it.
- Routine careClean tools, stakes, and cagesmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Wash and sanitize stakes, cages, and tools that touched diseased plants before storing or reusing them to avoid carrying pathogens into next season.
Something looks wrong?
Describe what you see on your aniseand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.
Bacterial soft rot
Diseasesevere- CulturalRemove rotting plants and produce (manage, not cure)strong evidence — extension confidence
Soft rot can't be cured once tissue breaks down; promptly remove and discard affected plants and produce so the bacteria don't spread to neighbors or other stored vegetables.
- CulturalAvoid wounds and excess moisturestrong evidence — extension confidence
Harvest in dry conditions, handle gently to avoid bruising, control insects that create entry wounds, and improve drainage; cure and store bulbs and roots cool and dry.
- CulturalDon't overwater and rotatemoderate evidence — extension confidence
Avoid waterlogged soil and overhead watering that splashes bacteria, and rotate away from previously affected fleshy crops to lower disease pressure.
Southern blight
Diseasesevere- CulturalRemove infected plants and surrounding soil (manage, not cure)strong evidence — extension confidence
Once a plant collapses it can't be cured; dig out the plant plus the top few inches of nearby soil containing sclerotia and dispose of it, avoiding spread on tools.
- CulturalBury residue and rotatemoderate evidence — extension confidence
Deep-turn soil to bury sclerotia, remove crop debris at season end, and rotate susceptible solanaceous and legume crops with grasses for several seasons.
- CulturalAdjust soil pH and plant earlymoderate evidence — extension confidence
Maintain soil pH at the level recommended for the crop, since the disease is worse in low-pH soils, and time plantings so harvest begins before peak summer heat favors the fungus.
White mold (Sclerotinia stem rot)
Diseasesevere- CulturalRemove infected plants (manage, not cure)strong evidence — extension confidence
There's no cure for an infected plant; cut out and bag affected plants including the black sclerotia, and don't compost them, since sclerotia survive years in soil.
- CulturalOpen the canopy and rotatestrong evidence — extension confidence
Space plants widely, control weeds, orient rows to prevailing wind, and avoid overhead watering at bloom to dry the canopy; rotate to non-host crops (corn or other grasses) for several years.
- CulturalWater at the base, not overheadmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Use drip or soaker irrigation to keep foliage and the soil surface drier, which discourages the sclerotia germination and mycelial growth that drive white mold.
Carrot rust fly
Pestmoderate- CulturalRow cover + delay sowingstrong evidence — extension confidence
Cover the bed with insect netting from sowing, and avoid the spring egg-laying peak by sowing a little later. Crop rotation helps.
Root rot from overwatering / poor drainage
Diseasemoderate- CulturalLet soil drain and water lessstrong evidence — extension confidence
Water root rots like Pythium thrive in saturated soil, so cut back watering, let the surface dry between irrigations, and water at the base rather than keeping soil constantly wet.
- CulturalImprove drainage and aerationstrong evidence — extension confidence
Use raised beds, loosen compacted soil, and add organic matter to improve drainage; remove plants that are already rotted since affected roots won't recover.
Tarnished plant bug / lygus
Pestmoderate- CulturalManage surrounding weedsstrong evidence — extension confidence
Keep broadleaf weeds mowed or removed around the garden, since lygus build up on flowering weeds and move to crops as those weeds dry down; avoid mowing large weedy areas right beside fruiting crops at bloom.
- CulturalVacuum or shake plants to monitor and reduce· every 5 daysmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Tap plants over a light-colored tray to check for nymphs; a handheld vacuum used once or twice weekly can hold low to moderate numbers down on small plantings.
- OrganicTreat nymphs if damage is building· every 1 wkmoderate evidence — extension confidence
For active nymph infestations, azadirachtin or a Beauveria bassiana product can give some control per the label; preserve the parasitic wasps and other natural enemies that help suppress lygus.
Aphids
Pestlow- CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.
- OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.