Anise hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Licorice-scented leaves for tea and a long run of bee-busy blooms.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 8
Light: full sun
Size: about 3 ft tall, 2 ft wide
Harvest: July to September
From: Central North America
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators, traditional use.
Native to: Midwest & Great Lakes, Great Plains & Texas, Rockies & Great Basin, Western Canada. Hardy in zones 3 to 8.
The story
Anise hyssop was brewed as a sweet tea and cough remedy by Cheyenne, Lakota and Cree healers and used to flavour food; beekeepers found that an acre of it fills hives with pale honey. It is a prairie plant with a licorice scent.
Planting
Full sun and drained soil; it tolerates drought and poor ground. Sow or plant in spring, 18 inches apart; it self-seeds generously.
Growing
Water in dry spells the first year; later, nothing. Cut back after flowering or leave the seed heads for finches. Short-lived but replaces itself.
Harvest and use
Pick leaves and purple flower spikes from summer on for tea, syrup, salads and baking; dry for winter.
What to watch for
Powdery mildew in humid shade; nothing serious.
Safety
Medicinal uses here are shared as history, not advice. Kitchen amounts are fine for most people, but teas, tinctures and supplements can interact with medicines and aren't safe for everyone, especially in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for children, or with liver or kidney problems. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any plant as medicine.
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home