Anise Hyssop  (Blue Giant Hyssop)

Agastache foeniculum

Flowering heads (1-2 inches long) consist of tightly packed, tubular blue-purple florets, each about 1/2 inch long. Being in the mint family, the stems are square; leaves are heart-shaped (cordate), appear in opposite pairs on short stalks, and have edges that are crenellated or scalloped.  If crushed or chewed, the foliage does smell or taste like anise.

Anise Hyssop is not native to the Chicago area, occurring naturally farther to the west, beyond the Mississippi.  This specimen may be a garden escape, since it is not infrequently planted in gardens, or a hybrid of natural A. foeniculum with a garden cultivar.

2-4 feet, sun - partial sun.

Summer (June-September).

17 August 2020.

Anise or Blue Giant Hyssop, 27 August 2020.