Anise Hyssop

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

2-4 Feet

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 8

Gardeners with dedicated wildlife and pollinator areas of their garden need to include Anise Hyssop in the planting plan. This is a tough-as-nails perennial that will not only attract all the pollinators to your yard but is edible and drought tolerant. Anise Hyssop is in the mint family, although it does tend to be better behaved than most varieties of mint. Agastache foeniculum is a native of the prairies of the midwest, Great Plains and Canada. It has beautiful spikes of rose-colored flowers that last a long time on the plant as a cut flower in a vase. 

Anise Hyssop can be grown in just about every state of the lower 48 and will multiply in the garden at a moderate level. This edible perennial not only looks great planted with other prairie natives like Rudbeckia and Miscanthus grasses but adds a unique vertical element when planted in the kitchen garden as a pollinator attractor. Deer do not browse this plant, and few diseases are a problem. Once Anise Hyssop has established in a garden, little maintenance is required. 

Anise Hyssop Care

Plant Agastache in a sunny, well-drained spot. Shade early or late in the day is well tolerated as well as nutrient-poor soils. Prairie plants rarely need fertilizing and will always benefit from a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch in the spring. As the mulch breaks down, it supplies nutrients to the roots. Water well the first year after planting. Deep watering once a week will encourage the roots to grow deeper in the soil and become more drought tolerant as the plant matures.

The only maintenance required for Anise Hyssop is to remove any remaining spent growth in the late winter or early spring. The top growth is enjoyed over the winter by various non-migrating birds and other wildlife visitors to the garden. Stop deadheading Agastache in late July so any remaining flowers can form seedheads. 

Anise Hyssop Spacing

The tall height of Anise Hyssop looks excellent at the back of the border with other natives like Switch Grass or Coneflowers. The mature height is 4 feet (in bloom) with a spread of 3 feet. Space each plant 24 inches apart on center when planting a large group of Agastache.