Anise Hyssop Lilac Blue

Anise Hyssop Lilac Blue: variety and characteristics

Anise Hyssop Lilac Blue (Agastache foeniculum) is a perennial herb of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). Agastache produces beautiful long spikes on long stalks of many whorls of purple-blue flowers.

Reaches up to 90 cm. tall.

The flowers appear from June to September in dense multi-flowered spikes of purple-pink blooms.

The leaves have an aniseed-like scent and are highly valued for flavouring, seasoning meat and sauces, and for tea.

Agastache (anise hyssop) is a honey herb with an aniseed aroma and long purple spikes — a favourite of bees and butterflies.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 85%
• Pack size: 1 g
• Seed origin: Poland
• Sowing: March and April; seedlings
• Flowering: June – September
• Harvest: May – July
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Anise Hyssop Lilac Blue

Anise Hyssop Lilac Blue seeds are sown in March and April. The plants flower from June to September. The crop is harvested from May to July. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Anise Hyssop Lilac Blue

• Sowing method: seedlings
• Depth: on the surface
• Spacing: 30–40 cm
• Germination: 10–20 days at 18–22 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Sow indoors. Sow onto moist, well-drained seed compost. Press the seeds lightly into the soil, but do not cover them. Light is required for germination. Germination takes about 14-28 days, but can be irregular and take up to 90 days. Water only from the base. Once germination begins, allow air circulation to prevent damping off. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle transplanting into 8 cm pots. Acclimatise and plant out once the danger of frost has passed, 45 cm apart. It can be sown directly in spring into well-prepared soil to which 5 cm of gravel and 10 cm of compost have been added. There is evidence of some antiviral and antifungal activity of agastache.

Plant in the sun in well-drained soil.

Harvest and use

The leaves are used for tea.

Frequently asked questions

When should Anise Hyssop Lilac Blue be sown?

The recommended sowing months are March and April. Sowing method: seedlings.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 85%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.