Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is in full bloom in my garden right now.  I absolutely love this plant.  

I plant it in as many gardens as I can.  It is a beautiful cut flower and attracts butterflies and other pollinators.  Anise hyssop is a lovely tall perennial that spreads, but doesn't take over.  It enjoys a sunny location.

Not only a beautiful garden plant, anise hyssop is also a lovely medicinal herb. It tastes delicious, having a sweet mild mint flavor.  It has a hint of licorice or anise flavor.  I'm generally not a fan of  licorice flavor, but I love the way anise hyssop tastes.  It is not overbearing on the licorice/anise taste.  

My favorite way to enjoy  anise hyssop is to make a tea with the flowers and leaves.

I harvest the top third, or less, of the plant when it is in bloom. I cut the stem just above a leaf node, which is where the leaf meets the stem.  The plant will then shoot off two new stems from where the cut was made and likely each of those stems will bloom.

I make sure to leave some flowers in the garden for the pollinators, the beauty, and to allow the plant to go to seed.  I want my patch of anise hyssop to get a little bit bigger every year.  Allowing some of the flowers to go to seed, enables this.  The plant also will spread via the roots.

After I cut the stems, I hang them to dry or lay them out in a flat basket or on a screen.  Once they are dry, I cut them up, and store them in a brown paper bag or a glass jar.

In the fall or winter, when I start to develop a dry and irritated cough, I make a tea with the dry anise hyssop and drink it throughout the day.  I especially drink it when I am coughing or feel like I am about to have a coughing fit.  You will find the tea recipe at the bottom of this letter.

The tea does an excellent job of calming my coughs and soothing my throat. Last winter I was recovering from a cough and was set to teach an hour and a half class.  I new that after I talked for a while, my throat and lungs would become irritated and I would begin to have a coughing fit.  

I sipped the tea as I was teaching.  I was afraid my cough was going to interrupt my ability to talk for an extended time.  The tea worked like a dream.  There was one moment when I was about to start with the cough spasms, but instead I took a minute to drink the anise hyssop tea and I was able to carry on for the rest of the class with no interruptions.  Hooray for anise hyssop!

The volatile oils that lend the lovely scent and flavor to this herb are the main constituents that calm spasmodic coughs.  They also can  calm spasms in the intestines.  Cramping, gas pains, and bloating can all be eased with a pleasant after dinner tea of anise hyssop.

Do you have anise hyssop growing in your garden?  If not, now is the time to find some and plant it.  You may even find it on sale at your local plant nursery.

Anise Hyssop Tea

Ingredients:

Boiled water
Dried (or fresh) anise hyssop leaves and flowers
1 quart canning jar with a tight lid

Directions:

1.  Place 8-16 tablespoons of dry herb (or twice as much fresh) in a quart canning jar.  The amount you use depends on how small the pieces of herb are.  If they are big chunks, use more.  If they are cut and sifted to fine pieces, use less.

2.  Fill the jar with boiling water.

3.  Cover with a tight lid.

4.  Allow to steep for 20-60 minutes.

5.  Strain and drink throughout the day, especially when you are experiencing spasmodic coughing.