By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

The other day I was introduced to a unique herb in my community garden.

While I was helping gardeners clean out their beds and determine what to dig up and/or keep, I came upon a plant that I was not familiar with.

The gardener, whose I was helping, had not labeled her plants nor did she heed my warning about the importance of record keeping.

So here we were trying to figure out if the plant was an herb or weed.

As a curious soul, I decided to dig up the plant and do a little research. I figured I had nothing to lose and if it ended up a weed well I learned something.

As I looked at the plant, I kept thinking it had to be some type of mint. The leaves and flowers spikes had a wonderful licorice smell to them but it did not spread like mint. As I looked through my plant identification books, I came upon a picture that was an oh yea moment.

The picture in the book was prefect. The flower spike detail and leaves allowed me to say, “Yes, I have found it.” While every plant can be classified as a weed if it is not wanted, this plant had not only beauty on its side but also a unique history that made it very important to me.

The Agastache foeniculum or anise hyssop or licorice mint is native to Read the rest of this entry »

By Sonya Welter

Like all native wildflowers, the anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) provides food and habitat to wildlife.

But anise hyssop has another benefit: the leaves, flowers and seeds can all be used in the kitchen to make tea, sweets or marinades.

Anise hyssop is a perennial that grows about 24 to 36 inches tall and produces spiky purple flowers.

It’s native to most of Canada and northern parts of the United States, and in the wild it grows in upland forests, prairies and thickets. The flowers are a rich source of nectar, and bees love anise hyssop. Butterflies and hummingbirds will also nectar at the flowers.

True to its name, the leaves of anise hyssop have a scent reminiscent of licorice or anise, and the plant is also called “licorice mint.” The leaves can be used dried or fresh to make a spicy herbal tea.

Young leaves add a kick to mesclun salads. The flowers are slightly milder, but they add a bit of Read the rest of this entry »