Anise Hyssop always reminds us of summer and the many useful herbs, flowers, and plants that grow in Connecticut. Oddly, Anise Hyssop is not a member of the anise family or the hyssop family, it is actually a member of the mint family. It is distinguished by its upright shape and bright lavender-colored flowers that bloom from June through early September in Connecticut. Anise Hyssop has a long history of use. Native American communities found many traditional medicinal uses for this perennial herb.
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| photo credit Jean-Pol GRANDMONT |
Agastache foeniculum or Anise Hyssop can be found in New England and much of north-central North America. It grows in clumps and has an upright shape with showy whorls of flowers at the end of the stalk. The dull green oval leaves are toothed with a white tint underneath them and smell like anise, which is how this plant got its common name. Like catnip and mint plants in the Lamiaceae family, Anise Hyssop has square-shaped stems. The plant blooms from June through September and has bright lavender flowers that are more colorful at the tip. The flowers have a tubular shape with two lips and four stamens ending in blue-purple anthers that extend from the center of the flower. The flowers are crowded along the spike and appear in verticillasters, which is the scientific way of saying that they grow in false whorls. Pollinated flowers produce seeds. This plant spreads by taproot and will also self-seed under the right conditions. Typical natural habitats include dry forests, prairies, thickets, and meadows.
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| photo credit R.A. Nonenmacher |
The most common traditional use of this plant by Native Americans was to treat colds, fevers, wounds, and diarrhea. Specifically, the Cheyenne used an infusion of the leaves to ease coughing, in a steambath as a cold remedy and powdered to treat high fevers. An infusion of the leaves in the form of tea was also taken to cure a weak or dispirited heart. The Chippewa used an infusion of the root for colds and made a poultice from the leaves and stalk to ease the pain of burns and wounds. The Cree made tea from the stem, leaves, and other plants and took it to relieve coughing up blood. The Iroquois used a compound infusion of this plant as a wash for poison ivy.
The Lakota, Omaha, Pawnee, Ponca, Dakota, and Winnebago, made tea from the leaves of this plant and drank it with meals. They also used this plant to sweeten cooking to improve flavor.
Did You Know
Its unscented flowers provide nectar for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies well into the autumn.
This plant is deer and drought-resistant.
The leaves of this plant are anise-scented which is where it gets one of its common names. Some people think the scent of this plant is more like basil or tarragon.
Other names for this plant are blue giant hyssop, fragrant giant hyssop, and lavender giant hyssop.
The flowers are edible. The leaves maintain their smell and can be added to salad or potpourri.
Modern research has shown that anise hyssop essential oil is antiviral against Herpes and helps to soothe wounds and burns.
The best time to harvest the leaves to dry is just after the flowers are in full bloom.
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