Anise Hyssop – Herb of the Year for 2019

by | Mar 6, 2019 | Chicken, Cooking, Landscaping, Native Plants, Spring | 3 comments

This is the time of year when gardeners want to branch out and try something new. Feeling this urge for the unknown? Then how about an herb that will add a bright spot of vertical color that attracts bees and butterflies? Add the lure of an intriguing licorice flavor addition to foods and herbal teas and you’ve got this year’s Herb of the Year, anise hyssop. You need this plant.

A member of the mint family, anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a perennial herb native to North American prairies. It grows to three feet high in ideal conditions, although I’ve rarely seen it that tall. It sports numerous lavender flower spikes which appear in mid-summer.

Butterflies enjoy sippng nectar from zinnias (shown here) and anise hyssops.

Anise hyssop grows best in areas with acid to neutral soil and regular watering. Being native to the cooler zones of North America (Zone 4-8), it will not perform well in in the hot, humid areas of the Gulf Coast. Gardeners in the Southwest (with high alkaline soil) should place this in pots or raised beds with afternoon shade. It is well behaved in the flower garden, requiring little trimming or maintenance. Plant it where its tall stalks will contrast with low growing flowers such as petunias or marigolds.

Anise hyssop is relatively low-maintenance in the herb garden. Few pests bother it although it may sometimes be attacked by the two-spotted cucumber beetle. If the lavender flower spikes go to seed it self-sows, giving you new volunteer plants the following spring. Divide mature plants every two to three years to ensure healthy growth.

Anise hyssop leaves look a lot like mint but have a very different flavor. They can be added to herbal teas for a hint of licorice flavor or added to fish and chicken dishes as you might use fennel leaves.

The fresh leaves of anise hyssop can be used to flavor chicken or fish dishes where you might use fennel. Some cooks have tried the leaves as a substitute for French tarragon. The leaves can also be used in herbal tea mixes. If making a pitcher of iced tea, try floating the flowers on top for garnish.

Wouldn’t you love to have these colorful blooms growing in your summer garden? All it takes is planting some anise hyssop this spring.

3 Comments

  1. Pam Henricks

    Where can I purchase seed for this? I would love to have some in bulk around my bee hives.

    Reply
    • Ann

      You can find anise hyssop at Johnny’s Seeds, https://www.johnnyseeds.com/. Some other seed vendors carry it but have it labeled as “Agastache,” the botanical name.

      Reply
  2. Mary

    I love this plant. It grows so easily from seed and reseeds well, even in my zone 3 in MN (I mulch the beds for winter). It is a beautiful plant, strong, with a wonderful fragrance of licorice. It attracts more pollinators than any other plant in my garden and I’m big on pollinators. I’ve planted some in most of my raised beds. Grows to about 3 ft. so plant it where it won’t shade smaller plants.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Pam Henricks Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

[wd_hustle id="5" type="embedded"/]

Top 10 Posts

Late Summer Blooming Garlic Chives

Late Summer Blooming Garlic Chives

If you enjoy cooking Asian foods, you’ll enjoy having a ready supply of garlic chives. Garlic chives are the big brother of the more commonly grown onion chives. They grow about twice as tall and have a more assertive garlic flavor. Onion chives have small cylindrical...

Get Your Garden Tools Ready for Spring

Get Your Garden Tools Ready for Spring

Many of us are still dealing with frigid weather. Spring can seem a long way off but a month from now things will be different. But before the weather warms you can get ahead of the game and get your garden tools ready for the season.

Rotisserie Chicken Soup

Rotisserie Chicken Soup

The majority of my at-home dinners are from scratch – or nearly so. But we all have those days when ToDo list overwhelms the time available and you have to punt. That’s when a rotisserie chicken can save the day.

Is It Spring Yet?

Is It Spring Yet?

As I write this post, my Fort Worth home has an inch of snow on the ground from a storm that passed through two days ago. Texans are feeling downright edgy being cooped up from all that white stuff that has no business this far south.  But slowly the days will warm and  we will be on our way to the first signs of spring. Get ready with these gardening tips.

New Ideas For Your 2022 Garden

New Ideas For Your 2022 Garden

Happy New Year! Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances, may the coming year bring you many joyful moments. Of course I hope some of those happy times take place in and around gardens. To help you make this come true I’ve collected a few ideas to get you out of your comfort zone and into something new.

Caring For a Rosemary Holiday Bush

Caring For a Rosemary Holiday Bush

Beautiful though they are, most rosemary holiday bushes often don’t last beyond the holiday season. Rosemary is an outdoor shrub, not an indoor tropical houseplant. The techniques homeowners use to successfully grow philodendrons and ferns indoors will kill rosemary. Here’s what to do.

Bogus Gardening Advice, Part II

Bogus Gardening Advice, Part II

Here, ladies and gentlemen, is my second helping of bogus garden hacks from an article I found online. The offending article was on one of those sites that claim to give the reader the “real facts” hitherto hidden from the average reader.

Bogus Gardening Advice, Part I

Bogus Gardening Advice, Part I

My beloved husband is always on the lookout for garden articles on the Internet that I might find interesting. Most of his discoveries are worthwhile. Recently however he forwarded a link to a page that had my blood boiling within minutes.

Making a Rosemary Garland

Making a Rosemary Garland

With the cooling fall weather, herb gardeners are busy harvesting and prepping the garden for winter. This includes some trimming of the shrubs that may have exceeded their allotted space.

Cinnamon Pecan Scones

Cinnamon Pecan Scones

Here in Texas the pecan tree is a native so nearly everyone has a source nearby for pecans. I the spirit of the Lone Star State here are some classic scones with cinnamon and pecan to add a flavor kick.

About Ann McCormick

I Believe

Books I Like

Verified by MonsterInsights