Season: Spring - Fall
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This species grows from 2 ft (61 cm) to 4 ft (120 cm) tall and 1 ft (30 cm) wide, in a clump-like, upright shape, with flowers appearing in showy verticillasters, or false whorls, and occasionally branching at the apex. The leaves have an oval, toothed shape with a white tint underneath. The plant blooms in June to September with bright lavender flowers that become more colorful near the tip. One plant may produce upwards of 90,000 individual flowers. The root system produces a taproot.
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Mature Height
36 Inches |
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Mature Width
24 Inches |
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Light
Sun |
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Water
Moderate |
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Uses
Anise hyssop was used medicinally by Native Americans for cough, fevers, wounds, diarrhea. The soft, anise-scented leaves are used as a seasoning, as a tea, in potpourri, and can be crumbled in salad. The purple flower spike is favored by bees who make a light fragrant honey from the nectar.
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RECIPES
Blueberry-Hyssop Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 cup roughly chopped anise hyssop leaves
2 ½ cups fresh blueberries, washed and picked over
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
6 egg yolks
2 tbsp anise liqueur, such as Pernod
Instructions
In a small saucepan, bring milk to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add the hyssop leaves, then cover and let steep for about 30-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the blueberries and lemon juice in a second saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the blueberries begin to burst and release their juices. Puree with an immersion blender, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
Once the milk is sufficiently infused, strain out the hyssop leaves and discard. Stir in cream, and bring to a simmer again over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Ladle in a small amount of the warm milk mixture, whisking vigorously to keep the eggs from curdling. Slowly pour in the remainder of the warm milk, one or two ladlefuls at a time, whisking constantly as you go.
Once all the milk has been incorporated into the eggs, pour mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula (a silicone spatula is your best friend when it comes to custard-making - if you don't have one, get one. It's worth it). Remove from heat.
Pour the blueberry puree through a sieve into a clean bowl, pressing on solids with back of a spoon. Stir in the custard and Pernod, then cover with plastic wrap. Chill custard in refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours to ensure it's thoroughly chilled before pouring into your ice cream maker and freezing as per manufacturer's instructions.
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