Description

Key Information:

Soil: Mesic (Medium). Drought tolerant.
Sun: Full Sun to Part Sun
Height: 2-4 feet
Bloom Color: Purple
Blooms Time: June – September

More Details:

Suggested Uses: Anise Hyssop grows well in dry sandy-loamy soil. The leaves of this plant, when crushed, have a licorice or anise scent.  The leaves are grown for tea and the flowers are a welcome addition for birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. They have nice, sturdy, straight stems for cut flowers. Deer resistant.

Native Range: North America: Native to most states in the Midwest, New England, the West and most of Canada. Minnesota: Native to most of Minnesota except some southwestern counties.

Pollinators: Great pollinator plant! Provides nectar for bees and butterflies, including Monarch Butterflies and the federally endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. Other pollinators include moths, hummingbirds, wasps, flies and beetles.

Flowers: They bloom in a long thin spike with several rings of tiny flowers. The individual flowers are 1/4″ long.

Leaves: The 2-3″ leaves grow in pairs on a square stem and are downy underneath. They are toothed and lace-shaped. Very aromatic.

Interesting Facts:

Food Uses: A fragrant licorice-flavored tea can be made from fresh or dried leaves.  The flowers are edible. The anise-flavored seeds can be used in muffins and cookies. The leaves can be added to salads and fruit cups. It is also sometimes used to flavor pork or poultry. Leaves can be steeped in milk and made into licorice-flavored ice cream.

Other Uses: Bees are attracted to the flowers. The flowers also dry well for use in bouquets and craft projects.
Other Names: Giant Blue Hyssop, Lavender Hyssop

More information: USDA plant profile