Tips for Growing Anise Hyssop Plants

Have you been looking for a tall, easy-to-care-for, fragrant perennial to add to your cottage garden, herb garden or perennial border? One that you may want to consider is the Anise Hyssop (Agastache Foeniculum).

This beautiful plant sends up spiky purple flowers and has a lovely anise, or licorice, aroma that attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It self-seeds and spreads quickly making it an ideal choice for filling in sparse areas of your garden.

At the same time the seedlings are easy to pull so it is simple to weed out any extras that have grown where you don’t want them. In fact, weeding them out is actually quite a pleasure thanks to the pleasant aroma.

Here are some tips on planting anise hyssop plants to get you started on growing in them in your own garden.

Anise hyssop grows as a perennial in zones 5-9. It can be grown in colder climates although it may act as an annual due to winter temperatures. It grows to heights of 3 feet on average, although some people have reported plants growing to up to 6 feet tall under ideal conditions. Because of this the ideal location to plant them is at the back of a flowerbed or border to create a lovely backdrop for your other plants.

To plant them you can sow seed directly in the ground in the fall or early spring. Seeds should be placed about 2 feet apart to give the plants room to grow. If you prefer you can start them indoors before the first frost and then move them outside later in the spring although it is not necessary.

They grow best in full sun, however they can also tolerate partial shade. They thrive in well-drained soil. Water regularly, but avoid over watering them since they don’t like too much moisture.

The plants will produce beautiful spiky purple blooms in mid to late summer that last through the early fall. Thanks to the aromatic scent of the flowers they attract lots of lovely creatures to your garden including bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.

Anise hyssop self-seeds easily and will send up plenty of seedlings around an established plant. You can either let these seedlings grow to fill in bare spots, or you can easily weed them out by pulling them. Many people actually enjoy weeding them because they smell so good.

The leaves of the plant can be used as garnish in place of mint or can be made into delicious tea. Not only that, but the flowers are easy to dry and make a lovely addition to any dried floral arrangement.

Overall anise hyssop is an easy plant to grow that requires very little care. It is full of color and fragrance and is a beautiful addition to any cottage or herb garden. Plus, since it is a perennial you only have to plant it once and it will continue to come back year after year.