Anise is Near Eastern in origin. It has a history of use as a medicinal and a fragrance plant since ancient times. It bears white flowers in the umbels up to 3 inches across.
Seeds are greyish-green when ripe.
All of the plant tastes strongly of anise. Anise seed requires a temperature of 70 degrees F. to germinate. Thin to allow four inches between plants, and run a line of string along each side of the row to keep plants from flopping. Seeds of homegrown anise should be dried three or four days in sunlight, then finished off in a 100-degree oven to kill off any insect life. The Romans concluded their feasts with anise seed cakes for the same reason.