Korean mint (Hisop)

Agastache rugosa

East Asian relative of anise hyssop with violet-blue flower spikes and aromatic leaves with a complex mint-anise-licorice flavour. A traditional Korean and Chinese tea and seasoning herb.

Hardiness ratings

Korean mint (Hisop) hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 5–9 −28.9 °C to −1.1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H5 −15 °C to −10 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 5–8 −23 °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 beds — strong bee plant over a long flowering season
  • Edible leaves — used fresh in Korean and Vietnamese cuisine and dried for tea
  • Distinct from American anise hyssop (A. foeniculum) — Korean mint has a more complex mint-anise-licorice flavour
  • Self-seeds modestly

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Korean mint (Hisop) against your zones

Reference

Korean mint (Hisop) on Wikipedia