Anise Hyssop ( Agastache foeniculum ) is a perennial herb that is easy to grow, is drought-tolerant and has a wide variety of purposes. Producing stunning purple flowers throughout the summer Anise Hyssop can be used as a culinary spice, herbal tea, in potpourri, included as salad leaves and is prized for its ability to attract bees, butterflies and even hummingbirds into the garden.
Agastache foeniculum is native to most of North America so it tolerates most climates and doesn’t require much watering or care. Anise Hyssop just requires a position where it can receive lots of sunlight.
Both the flower and the leaves provide a strong liquorice-like taste which could explain why the plant is commonly referred to as Anise Hyssop. Some describe the fragrance as more like Basil or French Tarragon and its popular use as an essential oil, in potpourris and other aromatic concoctions suggests it is widely enjoyed.
Agastache foeniculum or Anise Hyssop shares a common name with many other species within the mint family that have similar growth habits such as Blue Giant Hyssop, Fragrant Giant Hyssop and Lavender Hyssop.
Growth
Agastache foeniculum grows in a clump, upright shape to a maximum height of around 1.2 metres (4 feet) and spreads no wider than 30cm (1 foot). The leaves are oval in shape and toothed with a white tint underneath. Each plant can produce a staggering 90 000 flowers which bloom from early summer right through to mid-autumn.
Anise Hyssop is a perennial flower that prefers a full sun position where six hours of sunlight is achieved and will tolerate poor soils and dry periods. It is advised to water more regularly from late spring as flowers begin to develop.
Common problems can include Aphids, Root Rot, Spider Mites, and Whitefly. Most of these problems can be avoided by not watering directly onto the leaves or pruning the plant to improve airflow. Pruning is also highly recommended for this species as it will vigorously continue to flower during season.
When sown after the last frost of winter Anise Hyssop can start flowering in approximately 80 days.
Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.
FAMILY:
Lamiaceae
CLIMATE:
Cold, Temperate, Sub Tropical, Tropical
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
5 to 32°C / -41 to 90°F
SOIL TYPE:
Low nutrient soil is preferred.
LOCATION:
Full Sun
HEIGHT:
Up to 1.2 metre (4 feet)
WIDTH:
Up to 30cm (1 foot)
pH:
6.5-8.0
GROWTH TYPE:
Perennial, Herbaceous, Clumping, Fast Growing.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Light – Drought tolerant
POLLINATION:
Pollinated by bees, birds & other insects.
MATURITY:
80-100 days
GERMINATION RATES:
80-85%
GERMINATION TIME:
7-21 days.
GERMINATION DIFFICULTY:
Easy
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 2500
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
Yes
WEED POTENTIAL:
No
EDIBLE:
Yes
SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:
Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 3 years. Germination at 2 years post storage shows better germination rates than fresh seed.
FACTS ABOUT AGASTACHE FOENICULUM (Anise Hyssop)
Anise Hyssop is native to much of north and central North America and is most notably found on prairies among the Great Plains.
In the 1969 edition of Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening it is claimed that one acre of Anise Hyssop can support a hundred honeybee hives with the flowers in bloom for a very long season.
The native American tribes used Anise Hyssop medicinally to assist with coughs, fevers, wounds, and diarrhea. Herbal teas were also used by the Cheyenne tribe to assist with depression.
