Anise hyssop

Agastache foeniculum

North American prairie native perennial with upright spikes of lavender-blue flowers and aniseed-scented leaves. Outstanding bee plant and a fragrant tea herb.

Hardiness ratings

Anise hyssop hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 4–8 −34.4 °C to −6.7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H6 −20 °C to −15 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 4–8 −29 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 2–6 −10 °C to 15 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Plant in sunny herbaceous borders and pollinator gardens — bees and butterflies cover the flower spikes throughout summer
  • Edible leaves — anise-flavoured, dried for tea, fresh in salads, added to fruit dishes
  • Self-seeds freely where conditions suit and tolerates dry soils
  • Distinct from culinary hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis, already in the database) — Agastache is a different genus with anise rather than bitter-herbal flavour

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Anise hyssop against your zones

Reference

Anise hyssop on Wikipedia