EcoBeneficial Interview: Pollinators & Anise Hyssop - Native vs. "Nativar"

If you want to support pollinators, one great plant is Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). But is a cultivar as useful to pollinators? Join Kim Eierman of EcoBeneficial! as she interviews Annie White on her groundbreaking research. Watch the full video series to learn more. Annie White is a Ph.D. student at the University of Vermont and the first person to conduct research on this important issue.

[@braedonshelton2305]

Blooms the whole month of June in NC. Bumble bees love it! About 4-5 ft tall. Really likes my raised beds. It also grows in the heavy nc clay soils too.

[@ThereIsNoLord]

You cannot go wrong with these plants. You will see bugs of all kinds on this plant, as well as a BUNCH of bees, as mentioned. In late summer and early fall, I always have goldfinches perched on the flowers, eating the seeds. They come back every year. Very well worth planting a 10x10 foot square of these plants in a sunny spot, instead of having lawn.

[@amazingdany]

Wiil it provide pollen/nectar until frost?

[@ThereIsNoLord]

Not until frost, no, but the blooms will be productive into September.

[@amazingdany]

Damn... I guess I better start the aster seeds asap for the coming fall.

[@ThereIsNoLord]

And goldenrod.

[@amazingdany]

That too but my two goldenrod packets are invasive ones... Hmmm...

[@Zone10Permaculture]

Anise Hyssop is phenomenal for pollinators. Another one that I found the pollinators love is Motherwort (Lenonurus Cardiaca) the bees just love it!! The tea is also great for anxiety and depression and it really works wonders!!! It also self seeds freely.

[@EcoBeneficialVideos]

Most plants in the Lamiaceae (mint) family are attractive to bees. Anise Hyssop is one such native mint; Motherwort is a mint originally from Central Asia and Southeastern Europe. Anise Hyssop also makes a delicious tea with a number of medicinal benefits.

[@cmclingan]

Figwort, also...

[@prettypothos4me290]

I had both Blue Fortune and Golden Jubilee in PA. Blue Fortune did not winter. Golden Jubilee is still here four years later and has reseeded. I have about eighteen large plants. The seedlings are everywhere in spring, but they pot up, move or pull out very easily. Beautiful plant! My favorite thing is how quickly they jump up in spring and the color of the leaves..

[@inspiringsermonmessages6473]

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[@inspiringsermonmessages6473]

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[@FrederickDunn]

Nicely done Kim, thank you! I'm planting a small meadow of these this year and will be very interested in the variety of pollinators. Would you consider these to be cold hearty? Thanks again and I'm in agricultural zone 4, hoping that they will take.

[@EcoBeneficialVideos]

Hi Frederick. I highly recommend using plants that are native to your region. While a plant may be hardy in multiple regions, it may not be a good ecological choice in a region where it has not evolved. Take a look at the regional lists of pollinator plants I have listed on my website: www.ecobeneficial.com/pvg/ and also check out out other sources, like the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Society's native plant database and info from your local native plant society. Happy planting! Best, Kim

[@vickiesorenson2385]

That was very interesting. Ty for sharing this info.

[@kevinmccoy3653]

Thanks for the info, I am very interested in attracting both bumblebees and honeybees and this is one plant that I already bought seeds for but have not yet planted.

[@michaelepps9550]

Lady you are 100% truly correct these flowers do attract lots of pollinators and are highly favorable other wild flowers do ok but when comes to agastache flowers look out here comes the pollinators

[@NewEnglandgardening]

I thought I had an agastache in the yard but was concerned about the leaves being more yellow. Now I know it is because of the variety that I have. Was actually going to fertilize it because it looked yellow.

[@eddiep5078]

Purple haze seems to attract a lot too. Moths at night!! I try to get at least one of every cultivar that comes to the garden center but I've noticed orange ones like Tango aren't hardy at least not here in South Jersey. I also planted a couple yellows that didn't come back not sure of the cultivar name

[@byzancez1125]

Bought Hyssop seeds and planted them/also Borage/. Hopefully will grow, because we have quite a lot of bees and butterflies in my city and they need such plants.

[@portiaholliday8741]

Byzancez How is your Hyssop doing? I’m sure your Borage is doing well.

[@byzancez1125]

@@portiaholliday8741 Hi! The Hyssop is doing relatively good but the Borage is doing far better, tall and producing blue flowers.

[@portiaholliday8741]

@@byzancez1125 Yes, the honeybees LOVE Borage. Mine has become weedy. I'm FORCING MYSELF to cut some back bc it looks unsightly:-)

[@grandmablackwelder2415]

add Catnip, it's another that sees lots of pollinator traffic here on our farm.

[@TheSuburbanGardenista]

Excited to hear about all the pollinator action on this plant. I have many wee seedlings that need a home in the garden and the internet is suggesting spacing of 3-4' - I feel like this will be much too far apart? What would you recommend, and how long do you find that it takes to fill in?

[@EcoBeneficialVideos]

If you have very small seedlings, I suggest growing them out in pots until fall or next spring before planting in the garden. I like to space plants so they can achieve almost mature width. Allowing plants to touch each other creates a beneficial matrix above and below ground and helps to suppress weeds.

[@TheSuburbanGardenista]

@@EcoBeneficialVideos thank you so much for the quick reply. Very good suggestions. Perhaps I'll repot them to thin them out a bit. I had a great sowing, but they're definitely crowded and will be competing for resources if they get any bigger! I will definitely plant a bit closer too - I like a full garden for the reasons you mention and the look and feel too. Thanks again! 💚

[@maragrace820]

I am a beekeeper and I still cannot find a Anise Hyssop that honey bees go to. i have bought so many seeds and plants. Nothing. I watch it daily and every month. nothing

[@jenniferk9543]

I was excited to hear Agatache foeniculum culitvar Golden Jubilee tested as good of a pollinator as the straight species. BUT after doing some research I've read it's a cultivar of Agastache rugosa (NOT Agastache foeniculum) and thus is native to Asia not the US! Do you know which is correct?

[@EcoBeneficialVideos]

There has been a great deal of misinformation floating around for years about Agastache. 'Golden Jubilee' is a cultivar of the Korean Agastache rugosa. Agastache 'Blue Fortune' is a hybrid of the Korean Agastache rugosa and the North American native Agastache foeniculum. Although 'Blue Fortune' attracts many pollinators, like out native species, it is sterile and does not set any seed for birds and other wildlife. My suggestion - stick with straight species regional natives, whenever possible.

[@vistaprime]

I would like to know if I need to buy only the hummingbird mint variety of Agastache to attract hummingbirds or can I use other hyssop varieties to attract them such as those tall purple and blue Hyssops that you should in your video?

[@EcoBeneficialVideos]

There are a number of Agastache species that are native to North America. Check out the website of Biota of North America and you can see where each species naturally occurs: bonap.net/Napa/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Agastache

[@jennifernovak3362]

Does anybody use this for cookies? If so, How?

[@amazingdany]

Personally, its blooming time is too short at around 6 weeks! Better have an overlapping pollinator plant for the “relay”!

[@myacob2142]

Great video.. is it true that Agastache blue fortune is very short lived perineal . Max of 3-5 years ?

[@EcoBeneficialVideos]

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' is actually a hybrid of Korean Agastache rugosa and our native Agastache foeniculum. 'Blue Fortune' is not a long lived plant, and because it is sterile, it will not set any seed to perpetuate itself or to feed wildlife. Stick with the straight species Agastache foeniculum (or related species in your region) which does both, and is an excellent pollinator plant.

[@kenssf5819]

I just saw a video from the Snow flower biotech YT channel - why Anise hyssop? Attracts bee!

[@ldlink3935]

I had one of these...it was also great at feeding the Vole.....they loved it (to death)!

[@doro8856]

What, exactly, does that mean?

[@a.nefertiti6980]

Can Hyssop have pinkish flowers? I have a similar plant in my garden that I'm trying to identify. Could that be Hyssop, too?

[@EcoBeneficialVideos]

You may have a pink cultivar of nonnative Hyssopus officianlis

[@a.nefertiti6980]

@@EcoBeneficialVideos Thank you for your response. Those plants were there when we bought the house, in Montreal. But the plant doesn't have the smell or taste of Anise.

[@citic101]

is this the same as Agastache anista

[@EcoBeneficialVideos]

It appears to be synonymous with Agastache anethiodora and anisata. Really only referred to now as Agastache foeniculum.

[@SithSereyPheap1]

I love Carpenter Bees and i'm growing Passion Flowers to attract,entice and seduce them into my garden.

[@kevinmccoy3653]

For carpenter bees, try Monarda. My plant bloomed the first year from seed and was visited by two things all day every day- carpenter bees and yellow swallowtail butterflies. Just amazing.

[@nadrolobtheorcwench6342]

SithSereyPheap1 you like those guys!? I have way to many of them around my home.

[@ludovitmatula9603]

Mucska Éva Agastache I, III, V