Ferula assa-foetida

A big (3-5 feet tall) cool looking fennel relative with lovely ferny foliage and large umbles of yellow flowers. I'd be inclined to translate the latin name as "stinky ass" but instead it goes by the contradictory common names of "devil's dung" and "food of the gods."Apparently you eat it by cutting the root, collecting the stinky sap that oozes out, and then cooking it to transform it into something delicious. Or, of course, you can just grow it in your garden for the striking architectural presence and flowers every pollinator in the neighborhood will go nuts over. Native to the harsh climate of the Afghanistan mountains, very tough provided you don't drown it. Zone 4.