Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Anise Hyssop is an easy to grow plant that will attract a great amount of pollinators, particularly bees & butterflies, due to their beautiful nectar-rich flowers. You may have also heard of this plant going by other names such as blue giant hyssop, lavender hyssop, and licorice mint. Anise Hyssop prefers full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil, but is also drought tolerant and low maintenance, making it a perfect addition to butterfly, ornamental, or herb gardens. The plants will self-seed and usually over winter when the conditions are right. Anise Hyssop had a fragrant licorice smell that is similar to Star Anise. Both the flowers & leaves are edible and can be used as a dried herb or tea, in salads, or other creative culinary applications. This plant is popular among beekeepers due to the delicious honey that is produced from bees that graze upon these flowers.
NAME: Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
VARIETY: Anise Hyssop
DAYS TO MATURITY: 85 – 95 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Perennial
STRATIFICATION: Required: cold/wet, 4 weeks
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 4 – 9
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun / Partial Sun
SOIL: Loamy soils with a pH 6.5 – 7.0
SPACING: 18 – 24 inches
PLANT HEIGHT: 24 – 48 inches
TEMP: 55 – 95ºF
Anise Hyssop seeds must be stratified before planting otherwise germination will not occur.
To stratify your seeds, mix them with sterile sand or sandwiched between a wet paper towel placed in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator for 30 days. After 30 days, you can immediately use the seed since it is ready for the opportunity to germinate.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
After you have stratified your seeds, you can start them indoors 2 weeks before your last local spring frost
Start your seeds in cell trays or small pots with moist potting soil, keeping the soil evenly moist and temperatures above 65ºF
Germination will occur in 15 – 20 days
Provide light with a sunny windowsill or grow lights until the seedlings reach 2 to 3 inches tall
Before transplanting outdoors, harden off seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process)
After you have stratified your seeds, locate an area that receives full sun with loose, well-draining soil
Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep directly into garden beds 2 weeks after your last local spring frost
Plant the seeds 2 inches apart; when seedlings sprout thin them out so they are spaced 6 inches apart
Once they grow to be a few inches tall thin out once more so they are spaced between 12 to 24 inches apart
Anise Hyssop is drought tolerant and likes warm weather, but regular watering will enhance its quality and performance
It does well in sandy, rocky, loamy soils
In early Spring you can prorogate and divide the plant to transplant into other areas
Harvest individual leaves as needed, starting at the bottom of the stalk and working up
Do not remove more than half of the leaves so the plant has enough energy to photosynthesis and produce flowers
If you wish to have a bouquet of anise hyssop flowers, cut entire stalks 4 inches from the base of the plant
