Plant library · Herbs
Pimpinella anisum
Anise is an upright annual herb that brings a light, airy presence to a sunny herb bed. At about 2 feet tall, it can sit behind low edging herbs without becoming a large visual barrier. Its small white summer flowers extend the bed’s active season and add a pollinator-friendly element. Keep it within easy reach if the late-summer-to-early-fall seed harvest is part of the plan.
Place anise in an open, full-sun part of the kitchen or cutting garden, rather than along the shaded side of a fence or beneath taller crops. A position beside a path works well: the slender foliage occupies little visual mass, while the flowering and seed-setting stems remain accessible. It can be grouped with coriander and beans as named companions, but leave enough room to reach between plants without brushing through the developing seed heads.[1][2]
Set plants 9 inches apart, center to center, for a close but individually defined row or block. Each plant matures to roughly 1 foot wide, so reserve a narrow band of bed space rather than treating it as an edging plant. In a bed deeper than 2 feet, place anise toward the back half and keep a path-facing edge clear for harvesting and cleanup.
Give anise full sun and moderately moist, well-drained soil. Avoid a low pocket that stays wet after rain, especially where tightly planted herbs can limit air movement around the base. A loamy planting strip with regular access to water suits its long warm-season run, while a raised or gently mounded area can help keep drainage moving.[1]
This annual needs a long growing window, taking about 120 days to reach maturity. Plan for foliage and upright stems through summer, with flowers from mid to late summer and harvesting from late summer into early fall. Leave its allotted space in the bed until seed harvest is complete, then clear the plant to reopen the area for a succeeding cool-season crop or bed renewal.
Anise dislikes root disturbance, so give it its final position early and avoid treating it as a plant that can be shifted around to fill gaps later in the season. Seed-bearing stems may need light support to keep them upright and off the ground. Allow a little open working room at the row ends for staking, harvest, and removal after the annual cycle finishes.[1]
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.