Anise

Grow fragrant, feathery leaves and aromatic seeds of Anise right in your home garden. This ancient Mediterranean culinary and medicinal herb is a rewarding garden favorite, prized for its delicate lacy foliage, delicate white umbrella-shaped flower clusters, and sweet, warm licorice aroma that brings authentic flavor to baked goods, teas, liqueurs, and gourmet savory dishes.

Versatile and multi-purpose, Anise offers a triple harvest for home gardeners: snip the tender young leaves for fresh herbal garnishes and salads, harvest the delicate blossoms for infused syrups, or gather the ripe aromatic seeds at the end of summer for year-round pantry storage. Fast-growing and pollinator-friendly, these graceful 18- to 24-inch plants thrive in sunny herb borders, garden beds, and deep patio containers across Canada.

Why Grow Anise?

• Classic Mediterranean heirloom herb prized for its sweet, warm licorice aroma and flavor
• Triple-purpose harvest—enjoy fresh feathery leaves, edible flowers, and aromatic dried seeds
• Umbel-shaped white blooms attract beneficial predatory insects, bees, and butterflies
• Essential culinary spice for biscotti, breads, herbal teas, curries, and homemade liqueurs
• Thrives in full sun with light, well-draining soil
• Approximately 110–120 days to seed maturity (leaves harvestable in 40–50 days)
• Grows best in full sun
• Open-pollinated heirloom variety
• Approximately 140-150 seeds per packet

How to Grow Anise from Seed

Direct sow anise seeds outdoors in spring after all danger of hard frost has passed and soil has warmed to at least 15°C (60°F). Because anise develops a long taproot that dislikes transplanting, direct sowing into its permanent garden spot yields the strongest plants.

Sow seeds approximately 6 mm (1/4 inch) deep and 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart in rows spaced 30–45 cm (12–18 inches) apart. When seedlings reach 5–7 cm (2–3 inches) tall, thin them to a final spacing of 15–20 cm (6–8 inches) apart to allow airy, upright growth.

Choose a warm, sunny, sheltered location with light, moderately fertile, and well-draining soil. Water evenly while seedlings establish; once mature, anise prefers slightly drier conditions and requires minimal fertilizing.

Snip fresh leaves as needed once plants are well established. To harvest seeds, cut flower umbels when the seeds turn grayish-brown in late summer, hang them upside down in a paper bag in a warm, dry spot, and shake out the dried seeds for airtight storage.

Growing Anise in Canada

Anise grows wonderfully across Canadian growing zones when sown directly in mid-to-late spring as soon as the ground warms up. Because anise requires a full summer season to set and ripen its aromatic seeds, planting promptly after your regional last frost date ensures a bountiful late-summer seed harvest before autumn rains arrive.

For detailed instructions covering seed starting, spacing, watering, fertilizing, harvesting, and pest management, read our How To Grow Anise in Canada | Complete Guide.

Anise Growing Information

Feature	Detail
Botanical Name	Pimpinella anisum
Common Name	Anise / Aniseed / Sweet Cumin
Plant Type	Annual culinary & medicinal herb
Sun Requirements	Full sun
Days to Maturity	Approximately 40–50 days (leaves) / 110–120 days (seeds)
Seed Count	Approximately 140-150 seeds
Pollination Type	Open-pollinated heirloom variety
Best Uses	Baking, biscotti, soothing herbal teas, fresh salad garnishes, spice blends, and pollinator gardens

Grow Your Own Anise

There is nothing quite like harvesting your own sweet, fragrant aniseed and feathery fresh leaves straight from your summer herb garden. With its pollinator-friendly blooms, culinary versatility, and timeless heirloom charm, Anise is a rewarding and aromatic addition to your Canadian garden.

Sow your seeds this season and enjoy a bountiful harvest of homegrown culinary herbs and spices!