Agastache foeniculum, Anise Hyssop

'Blue Fortune' and 'Golden Jubilee' were sold for years as cultivars of Agastache foeniculum. 'Blue Fortune' is now recognized as a hybrid selection of Agastache rugosa (Korean Mint) and A. foeniculum and Golden Jubilee seems to be acknowledged as a selection of A. Rugosa (information still varies between websites).

The issue of more concern though, for those working to preserve locally and regionally native species, is that Agastache hybrids and A. foeniculum cross easily and the resulting seeds or plants are often mislabeled. There is a helpful guide to identification here: https://bigriverbigwoods.org/.../ThreeProblemSpecies_v3.pdf

Since finding out about this issue, I’ve noticed a distressingly high percentage of plants labeled as Anise Hyssop showing more of the Korean Mint traits than the Anise Hyssop traits, so be sure to take a close look when purchasing.

In an effort to offer seeds of the Ontario native, I began pulling all of the suspect seedlings at the Perth place a few years ago (I actually had Korean mint in the veggie garden for a while, not knowing the potential for hybridization) and I only collect seeds from the plants that I have purchased from a specialty grower and that showed distinctly foeniculum traits.

I also order seeds from Prairie Moon nursery since the seedlings from theirs seem to have the Foeniculum traits and Prairie Moon generally has good quality control for their offerings

As to the plants themselves, they will tolerate a bit of shade but they really thrive in sunny locations, where they convert a lot of those calories into nectar for pollinators, and boy oh boy are those pollinators happy with the situation. One of the marketing names that was tried out for this species was ‘Butterfly Mint’ and they really do earn the name. Licorice Mint is another common name that is earned, with their very fragrant foliage that truly is a combination of licorice and mint.

They don’t have the running tendency of some members of the mint family though, growing as a clump a foot or two in width and 30” to a bit over 50” in height, rather than a spreading patch. They can be somewhat short-lived, fading away after 3-5 years, but if you make a bit of space in the garden, they self-seed freely.

They combine well with a mix of other vigorous species, including Silver Wormwood, Fireweed, Showy Tick Trefoil, Flat-topped White Aster, Common Sneezeweed, Pink Swamp Milkweed in damper locations, Orange Butterfly Weed in dryer ones, Spotted St. John’s Wort, Switch Grass, Virginia Mountain Mint, Wild Bergamot, Grey and Green Headed Coneflowers, Stiff-leaved Goldenrod, Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod, Smooth Aster, New England Aster and Blue Vervain.