Anise Hyssop

Agastache foeniculum

''Agastache foeniculum'', commonly called anise hyssop, blue giant hyssop, Fragrant giant hyssop, or the lavender giant hyssop, is a species of perennial plant in the mint family. This plant is native to much of north-central and northern North America, notably the Great Plains and other prairies, and can be found in areas of Canada. It is tolerant of deer and drought, and also attracts hummingbirds and butterflies making it an attractive selection for gardeners.
Agastache foeniculum Agastache foeniculum (Anise Hyssop) growing in an old field. I've noticed several species of bumblebees, moths, and butterflies nectaring at the flowers of this species. Agastache foeniculum,Anise Hyssop,Geotagged,Minnesota,Summer,United States,native plant

Appearance

This species grows from 2 ft to 4 ft tall and 1ft wide, in a clump-like, upright shape, with flowers appearing in showy verticillasters, or false whorls, and occasionally branching at the apex. The leaves have an oval, toothed shape with a white tint underneath. The plant blooms in June to September with bright lavender flowers that become more colorful near the tip. The root system produces a taproot.
Anise Hyssop - Agastache foeniculum The leaves smell like licorice and are used in herbal teas, to flavor jellies, or eaten fresh as accents in a salad. They can be harvested at any time, but the best time (for drying) is when the flowers are just past full bloom because that's when the oil content in the leaves will be at its highest. Habitat: Garden Agastache,Agastache foeniculum,Anise Hyssop,Fall,Geotagged,United States,hyssop

Uses

Anise hyssop was used medicinally by Native Americans for cough, fevers, wounds, diarrhea. The soft, anise-scented leaves are used as a seasoning, as a tea, in potpourri, and can be crumbled in salad. The purple flower spike is favored by bees who make a light fragrant honey from the nectar.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderLamiales
FamilyLamiaceae
GenusAgastache
SpeciesA. foeniculum
Photographed in
Belgium
United States of America