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Lamiaceae
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Sweetness, hospitality, prairie comfort.
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Genus
- Agastache
- Native to
- Northern North America
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Perennial
- Height
- 60–120 cm (2–4 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 4–8
- Lifespan
- Short-lived perennial
Did you know
- Anise hyssop is neither a true anise nor a true hyssop—it's a North American mint whose leaves smell powerfully of black licorice or fennel when crushed.
- It's one of the very best honeybee plants on the continent—a single plant can attract dozens of bees at once, and 'anise hyssop honey' is a prized varietal honey in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
- The leaves are a traditional Plains Indian sweet tea—Cheyenne, Cree, and Ojibwe peoples brewed them as a respiratory medicine and ceremonial drink.
- Anise hyssop blooms for 8–10 weeks straight—one of the longest-blooming perennials in the entire pollinator garden, providing nectar from June into September.
- Cut anise hyssop spikes hold their purple color when dried—they were traditional ingredients in colonial American potpourri and are still used in winter dried arrangements.
Color meanings
0
sweetness
1
hospitality
2
prairie comfort