Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)…. the latin name is important here because there are many very different plants with similar names.
This beautiful, native perennial plant also goes by the name licorice mint. It is often found in North American native perennial gardens as a plant to support pollinators. There is a similar and nearly indistinguishable variety from Korea. Western herbalists learned of this mint family plant’s medicinal uses in supporting the digestive and respiratory systems from both Native North American peoples and Asian peoples. We enjoy Anise Hyssop on our farms as a summer blooming native pollinator plant that brings butterflies, bumblebees and hummingbirds. We share the flowers with the pollinators. Often enjoyed as a tea, it’s taste is sweet and licorice-like. To use the plant for a beverage, we harvest the leaves and flowers to dry and then make a tea or simple syrup. Our Anise Hyssop Simple Syrup is made with freshly dried flowers and leaves, steeped in sugar and water and then strained.
A hardy perennial, anise hyssop is a refreshing herb with a licorice taste. It has many medicinal benefits including, settling an upset stomach, calming the nerves, and aiding in the treatment of respiratory infections.