Anise Hyssop
Agastache Foeniculum

days to maturity: 75 days
plant spacing: 2 plants per square foot
sunlight requirements: 8-14 hours
look out for: plant isn’t very heat tolerant
harvest notes: clipping stems low will encourage plant to bush out
seasons: fall, winter, spring
perennial

Anise hyssop is a beautiful tender perennial herb in the mint family that has a ton of different uses, from medicinal to edible & ceremonial ones. Anise hyssop leaves have a mild licorice flavor and its purple flower spike is favored by bees who make a light fragrant honey from the nectar. A poultice of leaves can be used to treat burns, or to relieve the itch of poison ivy and because it’s antibacterial it can also be used to cleanse open wounds on the skin. Its also an aromatic digestant which means it prevents bloating & gas (like its cousin, mint). Native Americans used the leaves of this plant as a burning incense as it provides an uplifting fragrance when burnt. Take a bath in the leaves for treating sunburn or for fungal conditions like athletes foot or overgrown yeast. If all of these uses aren’t enough the flower is edible as are the leaves. We love encouraging people to make super herbaceous salads with a base of “normal” leaves like arugula mustard & lettuce with all the wild and crazy herbs you can grow at home like dill, mint, bronze fennel, chamomile, purslane and anise hyssop mixed in. the more leaves you can eat at once the better for your health and for the use of your garden.