Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a perennial wildflower that is hardy in USDA zones 3-8. It is native to the Upper Midwest and the Great Plains, extending into Canada, including Wisconsin.
Anise Hyssop features flower spikes that burst with tiny, soft purple blooms. These blossoms open at intervals, providing a long nectar season for pollinators. The plant often blooms in its first year, producing flowers that are 3 to 6 inches long. The tubular-shaped, two-lipped flowers are long-lasting and visually striking, blooming from June through September. While the flowers are unscented, the foliage is fragrant. The blooms are a rich source of nectar and pollen.Great cut flowers in both fresh and dried floral arrangements. This plant attracts bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies throughout the summer, serving as a host plant for the Radcliffe's Dagger moth and the Common Buckeye.
Anise Hyssop prefers full sun to partial shade and typically reaches a mature height and spread of 1 to 3 feet. It readily self-seeds, and you can divide it in spring or fall. The plant tolerates a wide range of soil types, as long as there is good drainage. It thrives in medium to medium-dry soil and is drought-tolerant. Anise Hyssop develops a taproot with rhizomes.
The sturdy, upright, square stems support fragrant foliage that smells like anise or licorice. The undersides of the leaves are white or gray, adding visual interest as they catch the wind. This clump-forming plant has opposite, ovate leaves that are dull green, up to 4 inches long, and have toothed margins. Anise Hyssop is easy to grow.
Pollinated flowers produce oval-shaped nutlets that contain seeds, which will eventually dry and split open to release them.
Companion plants for Anise Hyssop include bee balm, black-eyed Susans, goldenrod, purple coneflowers, and false sunflowers.
The plant is deer-resistant, but it is not rabbit-resistant, so it's advisable to cover young plants.
Historically, Anise Hyssop has been used medicinally by Native Americans. Today, it is commonly used in herbal teas, flavored jellies, and potpourri, and the seeds are used for flavoring in salads and tea.
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a perennial wildflower that is hardy in USDA zones 3-8. It is native to the Upper Midwest and the Great Plains, extending into Canada, including Wisconsin.
Anise Hyssop features flower spikes that burst with tiny, soft purple blooms. These blossoms open at intervals, providing a long nectar season for pollinators. The plant often blooms in its first year, producing flowers that are 3 to 6 inches long. The tubular-shaped, two-lipped flowers are long-lasting and visually striking, blooming from June through September. While the flowers are unscented, the foliage is fragrant. The blooms are a rich source of nectar and pollen.Great cut flowers in both fresh and dried floral arrangements. This plant attracts bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies throughout the summer, serving as a host plant for the Radcliffe's Dagger moth and the Common Buckeye.
Anise Hyssop prefers full sun to partial shade and typically reaches a mature height and spread of 1 to 3 feet. It readily self-seeds, and you can divide it in spring or fall. The plant tolerates a wide range of soil types, as long as there is good drainage. It thrives in medium to medium-dry soil and is drought-tolerant. Anise Hyssop develops a taproot with rhizomes.
The sturdy, upright, square stems support fragrant foliage that smells like anise or licorice. The undersides of the leaves are white or gray, adding visual interest as they catch the wind. This clump-forming plant has opposite, ovate leaves that are dull green, up to 4 inches long, and have toothed margins. Anise Hyssop is easy to grow.
Pollinated flowers produce oval-shaped nutlets that contain seeds, which will eventually dry and split open to release them.
Companion plants for Anise Hyssop include bee balm, black-eyed Susans, goldenrod, purple coneflowers, and false sunflowers.
The plant is deer-resistant, but it is not rabbit-resistant, so it's advisable to cover young plants.
Historically, Anise Hyssop has been used medicinally by Native Americans. Today, it is commonly used in herbal teas, flavored jellies, and potpourri, and the seeds are used for flavoring in salads and tea.
