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Herb
Profile
ANISE HYSSOP
Agastache foeniculum
Would you like a plant that looks good in your garden with beautiful
blue/purple flowers summer through early fall? A plant that attracts
butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to your garden? How about a
culinary herb plant whose leaves can give an anise flavor to desserts, can
be candied or can be used to make a flavorful tea? And finally would
you like a plant with beautiful |
flowers
that can be sprinkled over desserts, salads or cooked fish for a pretty
garnish with a delicate anise flavor? If the answer to all these
questions is yes than you should try anise hyssop in your garden.
Anise hyssop
(pronounced hiss'-up) is not a hyssop although both hyssop and anise
hyssop belong to the mint family (Labiatae). It looks similar to
several mints but has a very sweet licorice/anise flavor with barely a
hint of mint.
Anise hyssop
needs full sun and a compost-enriched, moist and well-drained soil.
Native to North America, it will remain perennial far north of here even
thought it will usually die back to the ground in winter and is one of
the last to come back in the spring. It blooms in summer through
early fall and should be pruned back by half after the first flowering
to encourage a second.
Try anise hyssop
in your butterfly garden. I have seen many butterflies nectaring
on mine. Hummingbirds also like them and they never seem to be without
at least one bumblebee buzzing around. Anise hyssop honey is a favorite
in Europe.
The natural
sweetness of anise hyssop leaves makes them perfect for desserts. Try
them in ice cream or use for dessert custards and sauces especially with
fruit. I especially like the leaves in salads. To make a
refreshing tea, steep 2 tablespoons of fresh anise hyssop leaves in a
cup of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes.
I love using edible
flowers and anise hyssop flowers are one of my favorites. Very
anise-flavored like the leaves, they can be used as a flavorful garnish
on desserts and salads. Fish is enhanced with the flavor of anise
so try sprinkling some of the flowers over the fish just before serving
for an attractive and flavorful surprise.
We frequently carry
Agastache 'Blue Fortune', usually called Anise Hyssop but more
accurately a hybrid of A. foeniculum and Korean mint, A. rugosa. It's a
sturdy plant with stunning blue butterfly-attracting flowers and the
same delicious anise-flavored leaves and flowers as other anise hyssops.
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Herb
Profile
ROSEMARY
Rosmarinus officinalis
Profile will
be posted soon. |
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Herb
Profile
'MAGICAL MICHAEL' BASIL
Ocimum basilicum 'Magical Michael'
'Magical Michael' basil is
a 2002 All-America Selections winner. Developed by a former Purdue
University researcher, it was bred for uniformity of plant shape and height
without sacrificing the rich oils, aroma and flavor of sweet
basil.
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sweet basil plants are quite variable in shape and height, lanky and
growing every which way, but 'Magical Michael' is uniformly about 15
inches tall with a 16 to 17 inch spread. It has dark green
fragrant leaves and interesting compact button-like flowers with white
corollas (petals) and purple calices (the lower part of the flower that
covers the bud). |
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What are All-America Selections?
You've probably heard plants promoted as "All-America
Selections" and sporting the red-white-and-blue logo. AAS
is a non-profit organization which has introduced 637 award
winners since 1933. Flowers, vegetables and bedding plants
are grown at test sites across North America where they are
evaluated. AAS then introduces those it recognizes for
significant achievements, proven to be superior to all others on
the market. |
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Other All-America Selections basils.
Several other basils have been recognized as "All-America
Selections". The first was 'Dark Opal' basil
introduced in 1962 and then 'Purple Ruffles', a cross between
'Dark Opal' and 'Green Ruffles' in 1987. 'Siam Queen' Thai
basil was introduced in 1997 followed only a year later by
'Sweet Dani' lemon basil in 1998.
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