medicinal herbs
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum

Herb: Anise Hyssop

Latin name: Agastache foeniculum

Synonyms: Agastache anethiodorum

Family: Labiatae

Medicinal use of Anise Hyssop:

The leaves are cardiac and diaphoretic. An infusion of the leaves is used in the treatment of colds, fevers, weak heart etc. When left to go cold, the infusion is used to treat pains in the chest (such as when the lungs are sore from too much coughing). A poultice of leaves and stems can be used to treat burns.

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Perennial

Height:

90 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:

July

Habitat of the herb:

Dry thickets, fields and waste ground on prairies and plains.

Edible parts of Anise Hyssop:

Leaves and flowers - raw or cooked. They are used as a flavouring in raw or cooked dishes. Excellent raw, they have a sweet aniseed flavour and are one of our favourite flavourings in salads. They make a delicious addition to the salad bowl and can also be used to flavour cooked foods, especially acid fruits.The only drawback to the leaves is that they tend to have a drying effect in the mouth and so cannot be eaten in quantity. A pleasant tasting tea is made from the leaves.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 13°C. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring. Fairly simple, if large divisions are used it is possible to plant them straight out into their permanent positions. Basal cuttings of young shoots in spring. Harvest the young shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm tall and pot them up in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse. They should root within 3 weeks and can be planted out in the summer or following spring.

Cultivation of Anise Hyssop: