Giant Hyssop (Blue Giant Hyssop)
Agastache foeniculum
Family:
Mint family - Lamiaceae
The aromatic giant hyssop, with its mint and licorice-scented leaves and bountiful clusters of purple flowers, is a magnet for a wide range of pollinators.
Woodland garden
Meadow / Grassland garden
Pollinator garden
Cutting garden
Adaptable
Supports wide variety of wildlife
High-value
Details
Emerges
April, May
Seed collection
Flowers
July, August
Blue
Purple
September
Height
60
-
90
cm
Lifecycle
Perennial
Width
30
-
50
cm
Habit
Forbs
Upright
Spreading
Clumping
Herbaceous
Ecology
Supports
Bees
Butterflies & Moths
Hummingbirds
Providing
Nectar source
A favorite for native bumblebees, hyssop is a high-value plant for pollinators, also attracting hummingbirds and butterfies.
Habitat
Typically found in
open woods, prairie, meadows
Frequently found in open grassland, moist meadows, open woods and woodland edges.
In the Garden
Growing Conditions
Moisture
Dry
Average
Light
Full sun
Part sun
Part shade
Soil
Average garden soil, Sand, Loam
Propagation
Via
Seeds
Division
Self-seeding
Sowing Recommendations
Sow seeds in pot
Spring planting
High or easy germination
Landscape
Use for:
Back of bed
Landscape feature
Low maintenance gardening
Middle of bed
Mass planting
Growing Tips
One of the easiest plants to grow, with high germination rates and vigorous growth.
Adaptable to a variety of conditions, but doesn't like heavy clay.
Will spread into a clump and self-seed, though extra seedlings are easily managed by pulling.
Suggested spacing is 45 cm.
Description
Giant hyssop is a medium-to-tall bushy plant that fills in space well in the garden and produces many purple flower spikes. It's an easily grown, versatile plant that grows in full sun or light shade and will adapt to a variety of moisture conditions, making it an accelent choice for new and experienced gardeners alike. It is likely to form a busy hub for pollinators in the garden. It also makes a good cut flower.
Mature plants produce a very large number of seeds, which are easy to collect non-destructively. When stalks turn brown after flowering, most of the seeds are likely to be ready. Tip the stalk upside down over an open paper envelope or paper bag and give it a light shake. Mature seeds will spill out (often by the hundreds), while any maturing seeds remain. If few seeds shake out, try again in a week or two.