Anise hyssop is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae) and native to the Midwest and prairies of North America. It is an herbaceous perennial with an erect growth habit and fragrant foliage. The specific name references fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ), with which it shares the anise fragrance. Planted in full or partial sun and mesic to dry conditions, anise hyssop grows 3 to 5 feet tall and should be planted 12 to 36 inches apart in well-drained soil. It attracts bees, butterflies and birds to the garden and is resistant to deer and rabbits. If you decide to propagate this plant, division can be done in spring or fall. It will self-seed in the garden and usually overwinters well if the soil is well-drained. The foliage has an anise or licorice scent and can be used as a flavoring in salads and teas. Seeds can be used in cookies, cakes and muffins. The upper stems terminate in spikes of flowers about 3 to 6 inches long and come in many colors. The small flowers are arranged in dense whorls that are crowded along the spike, and the flowers are replaced by smooth, oval-shaped nutlets. Flowering starts in late July and continues until late autumn. Anise hyssop makes a great addition to butterfly, cottage, cutting, edible, pollinator and drought tolerant gardens. Use it along a border or in naturalized areas. This is one of the 20 key pollinator plants that should be blooming in August for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census 2025. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Crown/root rot may develop in poorly drained soils. Watch for rust, powdery mildew and leaf spots. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗Scraped verbatim from NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/agastache-foeniculum/); 61 attributes.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf value
Edible; Fragrant
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
4 inch long and 2 inch wide ovate to broad-lanceolate green leaves with toothed margins. Fragrant.
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Edible; Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Lipped; Tubular
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Small blue to purple flowers on terminate in spikes that are about 3-6" long. The 1.3 inch 2-lipped flowers are arranged in dense whorls that are crowded along the spike. Flowering starts June and continues until late autumn.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Fruit dries and splits to reveal seeds
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Square green stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
USA: CO , CT , DE , IA , IL , MI , MN , MT , ND , NE , NH , NY , PA , SD , WA , WI , WY Canada: AB , BC , MB , NB , NT , ON , QC , SK
Wildlife value
Anise hyssop will attract bees, butterflies and/or birds to the garden.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Flowers; Seeds
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
The foliage has an anise or licorice scent and can be used as flavoring in salads and teas. Seeds can be used in cookies cakes and muffins. Flower can be used as a seasoning or in tea.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Garden for the Blind; Pollinator Garden