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A NISE H YSSOP Agastache foeniculum

Common N ames & Etymology:

Hummingbird Mint, Blue Giant Hyssop, Elk Mint, Fragrant
Giant Hyssop, Lavender Giant Hyssop, Licorice Mint
The name Agastache is from Greek agan and stachys
meaning ‘much like an ear of wheat’ referring to the shape of
the flower spike. The name anise hyssop was given by
European settlers to similarities in form to hyssop and in
flavor to anis. Hyssop is a Semitic origin word that describes
any of several aromatic herbs used both medicinally and in
purification rites. With this in mind the new world plants
association with hyssop is well placed. Yet while hyssop and
anise hyssop are both mints they are not closely related.
Plant Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)
Botany
Perennial; native to Great Plains of North America and is
especially favored by bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and
numerous pollinators. Birds, particularly finches, seek out its
seeds. “Deer avoid eating this plant but rabbits love it. “
It captivating anise-mint aroma may be Agastache’s most
notable quality. Anise Hyssop grows between 2-4’ tall and 1-
2’ wide and typically in clumps. Its opposite growing leaves
are a vivid green notched at the edges and with delicate,
white, hairs on their underside. Early spring growths usually
have an attractive purple-hued radiation. The stems of anise
hyssop are branched and more often than not hairless. Its
roots are branching and fibrous. The herb produces elongated
flower spikes composed on several attractive small lilac-blue
flowers between July and September.
Cultivation:
Attractive as well as aromatic, and a frequent plant in ‘cottage gardens’ where it makes a particularly beautiful
backdrop because of its height, anise hyssop is more often grown as a garden plant than as a medicinal herb.
Beekeepers cultivate it both for the bees and the mild licorice anise seed tasting honey that is produced from its
nectar. As deer avoid eating it and it has infection /infestation protecting properties for the plants it grows near
there are a multitude of reasons this beautiful native should be sought out for our gardens
As a native plant Anise hyssop is relatively easy to cultivate and free of
disease. It is hardy in zones 3-8 and grows best in full sun but will
tolerate partial shade in drained, fertile soil that t can retain moisture, but is
not too damp. It is propagated by seed either spread outside in garden bed
or meadow in fall (or early spring) or indoors 8 weeks before spring frost
date. Seed germinate successfully under a shallow soil covering (not more
that ¼ inch). Seedlings can be planted outdoors after frost date, spaced in
12” intervals. New seedlings may be sluggish and take 2 years bloom.
Anise hyssop is also easily propagated root division, provided in large
divisions. Harvesting plant in the early summer as it will stimulate
branching of the plants.
Parts U sed: Leaves and flowering tops (The flowers are less
aromatic than the leaves but also used in medicine and food.)

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H arvest:
Harvest leaves and flowering stalks throughout the late spring
and summer. Harvest carefully – leave some flowers for
the bees and other pollinators!
M edicine Preparation:
Use fresh or dried, as tea, tincture, capsule, electuary,
oxymel, and syrups. Use externally in washes, poultices and
compresses, or other topical applications.
M ajor Constituents :
Volatile oils: methyl chavicol which is one of the main
constituent of the essential oil, but it also includes Trans-
anethole, myrcene, limonene, estragole, 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone,
β-eudesmol, spathulenol, bicyclogermacrene, germacrene D, E-
caryophyllene and methylchavicol, among other constituents

Cultural Traditions and U ses

Native American tribes used Anise hyssop as both a

medicine and culinary plant wherever it grew. While the
recorded history of anise hyssop is sparse, there are accounts
in ethno botanical records record a number of used by various
tribes typically fort cough, fevers, wounds, diarrhea and
topically for poison ivy. The Cree traditionally included the flowers in Medicine bundles, while the Cheyenne and
Chippewa made anise hyssop tea to treat colds and chest pain due to coughing and the “dispirited heart” It was also
used in protective and healing rituals, and worn, burned as incense or planted around a home for these purposes.
The delicately flavored and aromatic leaves were also used by Native Americans as a tea, a seasoning and a
sweetener in cooking. Early records show Native Americans of Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota
South Dakota and the Missouri River region made a beverage from the plant.
One of the early botanical descriptions was in 1763 in Edwards's Botanical Register, “A handsome hardy perennial,
native of borders of thickets on the plains of Missouri. With us it flower profusely in the months of July, August, and
September, and is remarkable for the strong scent of anise, which it yields when slightly bruised. It is a neat
species, much better known on the continent [America] than in this country [England].”
But it then became a popular American garden plant. In 1805, Bernard McMahon, Philadelphia nurseryman
considered the ‘Pioneer American Gardener’ has often been described as Thomas Jefferson's gardening mentor; and
featured anise hyssop in his is classic work, The American Gardener's Calendar, which in turn became Thomas
Jefferson's primary horticultural reference as the grew anise hyssop in
his American botanical gardens in Monticello.
While it has yet entered prominently into western herbal materia
medica, it did become a mainstay of American folk medicine used in
similar ways as Native American tribes, for coughs and to facilitate the
digestive process.
A closely related species, Agastache rugosa, knows as Huo xiang
(also called giant hyssop, wrinkled giant hyssop or Korean mint) is
used extensively in Chinese herbalism. Similarly known for its strong
anise-like fragrance and used as a flavoring in foods, it is classified as
having a warm nature with an acrid and aromatic taste. Its use is
associated with the lungs, spleen, and stomach. Its uses mirror many of
the traditional Native American applications but can also offer a wider
understanding of anise hyssop’s medicine. I have outline some of A
rugosa uses below. Other cultures independently have discovered
similar uses for other species of agastache such as A. Mexicana and A.
nepetoides which are used very similarly.

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Anise Hyssop as Medicine - Outline of Herbal Indications
Tissue States: Damp Stagnant & Depressed conditions
Energetics Q ualities: Depressed Stagnant, warming
Taste:
Sweet, pungent, aromatic (“Smells like licorice with complex notes of
lemon, pine, sage, black pepper and camphor. There is no floral scent”)
Actions:
Nervine, anti-depressant, carminative, anti-dampness, nervine, antitussive,
anti-pruritic, febrifuge, diaphoretic, soothing expectorant, antimicrobial,
decongestant, anti-inflammatory. Corrigent, insecticide (but it is not toxic to
bees and other pollinators, in fact it attracts them),
Small seeds from flowers
M ajor Chinese M edicine Actions:
Aromatically transforms dampness, releases the exterior. Harmonizes the
middle, alleviates nausea Young emerging spring
plants
Specific Indications
℘ Damp stagnant & depressed conditions with gently stimulating and
warming aromatics and digestive actions, Likewise, A rugosa, Huo
xiang, is a “warming" herb, used in situations where there is "dampness"
within the digestive system, resulting in poor digestion and reduced
vitality.”
℘ Digestion: a nervine digestive stimulants. Used to treat stomach upset,
gas, bloating, diarrhea; helps to regulate appetite, assimilation and as
well as to damp digestive stagnation. Likewise, A rugosa, Huo xiang
“has long been used to treat stomach flu, stomachache, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain .. It is also a component of formulas that improve
digestive balance by aiding the absorption of nutrients and intestinal function.” Likewise, A mexicana, grown
in Mexico is used to treat gastrointestinal upsets, nervous, and cardiovascular ailments.
℘ Morning sickness: In TCM agastache rugosa is combined with Scutellaria (baical skullcap) to treat morning
sickness in pregnant women.
℘ Lung infections, cold & flu: coughs, congestion such as excess phlegm, cold and flu symptoms, bacterial or
viral infections, inflammation, congestion, bronchitis and other respiratory symptoms helps relieve congestion
When the infusion is used in its cold form, it is effective in relieving pains in the chest, for instance, when the
lungs are throbbing owing to excessive coughing. It mixes well with horehound in syrups and teas, lending itss
a pleasant taste along with its expectorant properties to the brew. Likewise, A rugosa, Huo xiang is found have
antiviral actions as reported in Antiviral Compounds from Plants by J. B. Hudson (CRC Press, 1990),
℘ Fever: inducing perspiration and febrifuge as a relaxing stimulant Likewise, A rugosa, Huo xiang “is used to
treat summer flu or summer colds with accompanying low fever, feelings of fullness in the chest, and
headache. It is also used to treat dark urine and a feeling of heaviness in the arms and legs.”
℘ Gu Syndrome (TCM) a Chinese medicine pattern connoting ‘stagnation, corruption, and decay” in which a
person contracts pathogenic infection that disturbs the mind in a way they feel possessed. Herbalist Jonathan
Edwards connects this pattern with Lyme disease and uses both anise hyssop and Monarda as American herbs
that “Disperse Gu Toxins”.
℘ Depression and Shock: an enlivening and relaxing aromatic nervine used by Native Americans for troubles of
the heart and lift the spirits. The Chippewa used it for a “dispirited heart”. Herbalist Larken Brunce uses anise
hyssop for depression with a Cold/ Dry/ Depleted/ Tense state. Herbalist Thea SummerDeer uses it for shen
disturbance, including PTSD, to restore the heart after for shock and trauma bringing “back sweetness after the
weight of guilt and shame” As native peoples practiced, anise hyssop can also be use healing rituals, worn in
bundles and burned as incense to restore the heart. In studies, at least one of it essential oils, methyleugenol, is
known to have sedative properties.
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℘ Skin: topically for poison ivy and other itchy skin irritations. A poultice prepared with the fresh leaves and
stems of anise hyssop may be used to heal burn injuries. Likewise, A rugosa, Huo xiang is prepared in a lotion
to treat fungal infections. In makes a soothing bath for both the mind and body.
℘ Heart Strengthening: traditionally used for a “feeble (weak) heart” Likewise, A mexicana, in Mexico is used to
treat cardiovascular ailments. Likewise, A rugosa, Huo xiang “tea is used in the treatment of angina pains”
℘ Cancer?: A rugosa, Huo xiang “is used as a folk remedy for cancer, extracts of the plant have shown
anticancer activity.”
℘ Corrigent – used to make less flavorful herb blends much more tasty
℘ Crop Insecticide Anise Hyssop is used to protect other growing plants from infection and infestation while
also drawing pollinators. Likewise A rugosa, Huo xiang “study conducted at China's Agricultural University of
Hebei in 2001 found that A .rugosa extracts was one of many effective herbal fungicides for potato crops.”

Contraindications & Cautions:

None known: as a food herb is it very safe. The Botanical Safety Handbook notes for Agastache rugosa: “Texts
on traditional Chinese medicine do not indicate any cautions for use of Chinese giant hyssop during pregnancy or
lactation” (It is used for morning sickness) “Although this review did not identify any concerns for use while
pregnant or nursing, safety has not been conclusively established.”

Anise Hyssop as Flower Essence

Anise Hyssop Agastache anethiodora [Fox Mountain Essences]
For core cellular issues. Heals trauma on cellular level. Coats the
cells so emotional issues slip or slide off them. Works on
primordial beliefs that no longer pertain to today's world and offers
them a new job of being alert to positive identities and individuals.
Balancing Qualities: Heals trauma at the cellular level,
particularly trauma that is thought to be one's fault, reliving the
weight of personal pain, shame, and guilt thus stabilizing the
person, relieving anxiety and bringing back the sweetness of
life. Indications: Unwarranted or distorted anxiety, guilt and
shame usually brought on by misperceptions in interpretation of
events, often related to trauma inflicted by another yet taken on by
the self.
Thea SummerDeer uses the flower essence similarly “for body-soul
integration of pain and suffering and as a post-trauma stabilizer
aiding the ability to forgive and to accept forgiveness” It
“encourages communication and honesty, relieving unnecessary
guilt or to prevent anxiety, particularly after a traumatic
experience” for the including old trauma such as incest.

Anise Hyssop as Food & Drink

Anise Hyssop was a valued culinary herb in native American cooking, as is other Agastache species around the
world ( Korea, China, and Mexico). The flowers and leaves make a particularly delicious addition to numerous
foods and drinks –particularly fruit and other desert dishes. Anise hyssop also makes delicious drinks and cordials!
Others have reported that the sole possible culinary concern is that in large quantities anise hyssop leaves are prone
to having a drying impact in the mouth, but it is rarely noticed unless one puts a tremendous amount in salads.

Anise H yssop Recipe N otes

Ÿ pairs well with fruits (wonderful in fruit salads) and particularly peach and blueberry
Ÿ great accent flavor addition to salads (in small amounts) Ÿ The flowers calm be used in baking, particularly in tea breads
Ÿ Anise hyssop flavored sauce complements strong-flavored meats like lamb, but also chicken, salmon and vegetables like peas
Ÿ Use the tea to poach peaches for a summer desert ( then pour an anise hyssop syrup over them!)

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Ÿ Infusion is cool and refreshing in summer beverages, Ÿ to flavor a cordial
Ÿ The tea infusion can be prepared as an herbal ‘Jello’ (with add fruit)
.Ÿ Blends will with hibiscus and raspberry to make a fermented water kefir soda
Ÿ As a syrup for flavoring winter dishes, drinks and deserts

Anise H yssop H oney

Ÿ Fill a small jar with finely chopped anise hyssop leaves and flowers.
Ÿ Warm honey until it is a liquid. Pour over anise hyssop and cover.
Ÿ Let stand for one month before using..

Anise H yssop and Peach W ine from: Wild Drinks and Cocktails by Emily Han
Ÿ ½ cup (8g) fresh Anise hyssop leaver or flowers or ¼ cup (4g) dried
Ÿ 1 cup (170 g) pitted & chopped peaches ( @ 1-2 peaches) Ÿ ¼ cup (60 ml) vodka
Ÿ 3 TBsp mild honey Ÿ 1 bottle (750 ml or 3 ¼ cups) dry rose wine
If using fresh anise hyssop, pat it with a clean dry towel to remove any moisture. Combine
the anise hyssop peaches and honey in a quart(1L) jar. Pour the vodka and wine into the jar photo by Larken Bunce
making sure the peaches and the anise hyssop are submerged.
Cover the jar tightly. Refrigerate the jar for 2 to 4 weeks shaking it occasionally. The longer
it infuses the stronger the flavor will be. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the solids, bottle and
refrigerate for up to 1 month. Serve chilled.

Anise H yssop Sauce

Use over roast lamb and many other foods! such as chicken, salmon as well as to make some vegetable dishes like peas
Ÿ In a small saucepan, combine 3 tbsp sugar, 1⁄2 cup cider vinegar and 1⁄2 cup water. Bring to a boil.
Ÿ Add 1⁄2 cup of chopped anise hyssop leaves and flowers and bring to a boil. Ÿ Turn off heat and let steep for 1⁄2 hour.
Ÿ Strain through sieve, pressing solids to extract all the liquid sauce. Ÿ If desired thicken the sauce with dissolved arrowrrot

Roasted Peach & Anise H yssop Ice Cream

Ÿ 4 1 1/2 pounds ripe peaches, ripe & finely chopped Ÿ 3/4 cup Anise hyssop, loosely packed leaves Ÿ 1 tbsp Honey
Ÿ 3/4 cup sugar Ÿ 2 cups Heavy cream Ÿ 1 tsp Peach schnapps
Combine in a heavy sauce pan the anis hyssop and cream. Bring to a gentle boil and then cover and turn off heat allowing the
herb to infuse for ½ hour to hour. Strain the herb. Combine cream and remaining ingredients and process in an ice cream maker

Anise H yssop & M ugwort Smudge Stick

Mugwort has long been thought to deliver lucid dreams. Anise hyssop was burned by Native Americans for protection. The two
herbs bundled together to burn as a smudge is used to inspire a dreams and also to protect and heal the heart during them
Ÿ gather fresh tops of both mugwort and anise hyssop roughly according to the desired length of the smudge stick
Ÿ Arrange the two herbs in roughly equal amounts in roughly the same length.
Ÿ.. tie at bottom with a cotton strong and wrap up the bundle very tight – allow to dry fully
Ÿ.. after ‘bone’ dry store covered and burn for sacred incense.

A few more Anise H yssop cooking recipe inspirations!

Blueberry Hyssop Ice Cream from Isabelle Boucher
Anise Hyssop Sauce Recipe from Chow
“Fancy” Watermelon With Chevre and Anise Hyssop from the Washington Post
Beet and Fennel Saute with Anise Hyssop from Heart of Cooking
http://homespunseasonalliving.com/anise-hyssop-gumdrops/
http://homespunseasonalliving.com/anise-hyssop-whoopie-pies/
http://siftandwhisk.com/blog/roastead-peach-anise-hyssop-ice-cream/
http://www.food.com/recipe/anise-hyssop-tea-bread-246234
http://www.recipelion.com/Cookies-and-Bars/Anise-Hyssop-Flower-Drop-Cookies#

Sources:
1. Emily Han, Wild Drinks and Cocktails (Quarto Publishing, 2016)
2. Dina Falconi Foraging and Feasting (Botanical Arts press
3. Thea Summer Deer, blog post [link forthcoming] MORE SOURCES FORTHCOMING
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