Practical
Plants

Agastache foeniculum

Anise Hyssop

a perennial member of the Agastache genus in the family Labiatae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Labiatae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.9 m
Spread
0.4 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and flowers - raw or cooked. They are used as a flavouring in raw or cooked dishes[1][5][13]. Excellent raw, they have a sweet aniseed flavour and are one of our favourite flavourings in salads[K]. They make a delicious addition to the salad bowl[6] and can also be used to flavour cooked foods, especially acid fruits[K].The only drawback to the leaves is that they tend to have a drying effect in the mouth and so cannot be eaten in quantity[K]. A pleasant tasting tea is made from the leaves[15][16][4][6].

Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are cardiac and diaphoretic[10][12][13]. An infusion of the leaves is used in the treatment of colds, fevers, weak heart etc[10]. When left to go cold, the infusion is used to treat pains in the chest (such as when the lungs are sore from too much coughing)[9]. A poultice of leaves and stems can be used to treat burns[13].

Product or use
Cardiac
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Pectoral
Product or use
Poultice

Environment

Range
Western N. America - Ontario to Washington, south to Colorado.
Habitat
Dry thickets, fields and waste ground[14] on prairies and plains[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 13°c[3]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant out in late spring or early summer[K]. Division in spring. Fairly simple, if large divisions are used it is possible to plant them straight out into their permanent positions. Basal cuttings of young shoots in spring[2]. Harvest the young shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm tall and pot them up in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse. They should root within 3 weeks and can be planted out in the summer or following spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a sunny position and a dry well-drained soil[7][8]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[8]. The young growth in spring is very susceptible to slug damage[K]. The flowering plants are very attractive to bees and butterflies[K]. There is at least one named variety. 'Texas American' has an anise-pennyroyal fragrance and is used in a similar way to the species[6].

References

  1. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00

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  2. Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926-00-00

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  3. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987-00-00

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  4. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30936-9

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  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  9. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

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  10. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

  11. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

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  12. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

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  13. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  15. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  16. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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