LAVENDER GIANT HYSSOP
Agastache foeniculum
MINT FAMILY (Lamiaceae)
Identification
- Flowering from June to September
- Rare - Single historical occurrence at Neale Woods
- Tubular, two-lipped lavender flower spikes
- Lavender colored calyces (fused sepals)
- Whitish leaf undersides
This native 2-4 foot tall perennial has square stems and opposite, ovate, toothed leaves up to 3 1/2 inches long and 2 inches wide, which give off an anise-like scent when crushed (A). Undersides of the leaves are covered with fine white hairs giving them pale green to whitish color (D). Blue to violet, tubular, 2-lipped flowers with long projecting white stamens occur in 2-3 inch clusters (spikes) on the upper stems (B). At the base of each flower is a toothed, tube-shaped calyx composed of 5 fused sepals which are entirely lavender colored or greenish with lavender tips (C).
The lavender or bluish calyces and whitish undersides of the leaves separate this species from the very similar Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia) which has green calyces with whitish tips and no white hairs on leaf undersides. Our other more common hyssop species, Yellow Giant Hyssop (A. nepetoides) has yellow flowers.
Grows in woodlands or moist open sites, flowering from June through September. This plant, introduced from seed used in the Nebraska prairie restoration at Neale Woods, was observed for a short time after the prairie was planted in 2001. A relatively short-lived perennial, it has not been observed recently.
Native Americans used the leaves for tea and as a flavoring agent in cooking. It was widely planted by beekeepers for the good honey it produced. Other common names include Anise Hyssop and Blue Giant Hyssop.
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