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Anise Hyssop

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Agastache foeniculum

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Non-flowering Anise Hyssop showing its normal foliage and form
Non-flowering Anise Hyssop showing its normal foliage and form. Photograph: Jasper Shide, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Plant typearomatic herbaceous perennial
LightFull sun; tolerates light shade
WaterModerate while establishing; drought-tolerant later
EdibilityLeaves and flowers are edible when correctly identified and grown without unsuitable chemicals
Native to United StatesYes
Native to Lafayette areaRegionally native; verify county-level occurrence
InvasiveNo; can spread in favorable gardens
Self-seedingYes

Care

Light

Full sun; tolerates light shade. Increase exposure gradually so leaves or stems can adjust.

Water

Moderate while establishing; drought-tolerant later. Check the root zone before watering and always let excess drain.

Standard soil mix

Two parts screened loam or potting mix, one part compost, and one part coarse sand or perlite. Use a container with an open drainage hole.

Flowering

Anise Hyssop in flower or reproductive growth
Anise Hyssop in flower or reproductive growth. Photograph: Jasper Shide, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Blue-purple flower spikes bloom in summer and attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Propagation

Use seed, division, offsets, spores, or stem cuttings only as appropriate for the verified species. Keep propagation material labeled and clean; do not distribute unidentified or regulated invasive material.

Seed germination and light

Seeds need light to germinate. Press them onto the moist surface and leave them exposed, or use only a very light dusting of fine medium. Keep moist without waterlogging. A cold, moist pretreatment may improve germination; follow instructions for the seed lot.

Germination source: Piedmont Master Gardeners, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Anise hyssop. Reviewed 2026-09-21.

Native environment

Habitat context associated with Anise Hyssop
Habitat context associated with Anise Hyssop. Photograph: Jasper Shide, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
A second view of the native environmental conditions
A second view of the native environmental conditions. Photograph: WayneRay, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Prairies, open woodland edges, and disturbed ground in north-central North America. Care succeeds when it reproduces the function of this setting—light, drainage, root-zone air, and seasonal water—rather than following a rigid calendar.

Environment →Climate →Ecology →

Sources

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© 2026 James Taylor · Plant Education Project. The original human-authored text in this Information Sheet is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

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