I have just planted out about twenty of these, but didn't know about full sun. I may move a few now. Thanks for all the information. Very helpful. From West Wales
This is a terrific and very comprehensive video. I will be sharing about this video and of course, Anise Hyssop with my viewers this coming Friday. It's an extremely valuable pollen and nectar plant for honey bee keepers. What a bonus that it also can deter rabbits and deer. I'd like to get an acre going, we'll see how that goes. I planted 23 from pots and bees were attending to it within minutes. They quickly located it via the strong scent. Thanks again, very VERY helpful.
Thank you Frederick! I'm very happy you found it helpful. You should be able to save a lot of seed from your plants that are blooming now. I'll be watching your video this Friday then!
I started this plant in February, using the winter sowing method. They did great! I just potted them up into quart size pots and I was pleasantly surprised by the aroma of black licorice that filled the room. I am so looking forward to seeing them bloom. I love your very informative videos on native plants. Please keep them coming.
Thank you so much for all the hard work in putting this information together! This is a great example for RU-vidrs that great videos can be made without any irrelevant music or any gibberish or personal stories! 😉
I can confirm Anise Hyssop's resistance to deer. I planted it in my mom's yard which is a nap and chill spot for her local deer population and they have never touched it. It is so beautiful and easy to grow it is well worth the minimal effort it takes to get it established.
You were recommended by Frederick Dunn on growing Anise Hyssop. Very thorough and interesting video I will look for some at the nursery to get me a jump start; otherwise, seed it is.
Went to garden center yesterday (Late October in Ohio) this plant was covered in bees! So had to have it for my pollinator garden. Now I know EVERYTHING there is to know, thanks to your video. Keep up the good work!
I assure you this plant is almost 6’ tall in my cottage flower bed and I have tons of them. This year I transplanted it into my largest garden and it turned out to be the star of that bed because my clumps are very large. I am in zone 4 upper midwest and have really sandy soil mulched with grass clippings and wood-chips. Its early October and they are whats keeping the bees going now along with my sedum. I even had a few white ones and they grew from the same seed. We have a large wooded lot surrounded by forest and these plants are never bothered by wildlife. I love them. The seeds have blown to other beds and easily spread to other areas of my yard. They look beautiful when swaying in a breeze. Our soil is very poor in spots and this plant doesn’t care.
That is excellent Janette. I've never seen mine go taller than 3', but perhaps that is conditions or local genetics. But do you think there is a chance that this could be it's cousin, Purple Giant Hyssop? That one gets 4-5' tall. Just a thought - here are some pictures if you wanted to compare - growitbuildit.com/purple-giant-hyssop-agastache-scrophulariaefolia/
I enjoy watching the native birds like goldfinch and chickadee perch on the seed heads and eat the seeds. I really enjoy these seminars on individual plants. They're beautiful, relaxing, and thoroughly informative.
Thank you for your superlative information and visuals, as always! Purchased three small Anise Hyssop plants from a nursery three years ago, planted them individually in large round planter pots (one 20" and two 16" diameter). All three are incredibly lush, healthy, and thriving in the outdoor planters, which have been left outside every winter (Zone 7a). Anise Hyssop is a summerlong pollinator super magnet! (Then, last summer discovered another bee super magnet at the nursery ("Lesser Catmint" Calamintha nepeta), absolutely swarming with happy bees. Bought three, planted each in a round planter (1x10" + 2x12"), and all have overwintered perfectly outdoors!)
Thank you Venice! This is a tough plant that seems to do well in containers. Our past winter was extra cold for this area, and that may have killed it off. But none the less, it returns everywhere else with vigor. Really a wonderful plant to have around.
Can you say that AH gives honey bees what they need to produce propolis? This is a good antibiotic so should be helpful in controlling mites. Any ideas exactly what the bees need to make propolis.
@@fernly2 - Try doing a full Google query on what is needed for Bees to produce Propolis, or you can do a query search in RU-vid for Bee Apiaries, or how to raise and care for Bees in their Bee Hives. I hope this helps. I know that I watched a video sometime in the past year of a content creator who was cleaning his Beeswax for candle making and he mentioned Propolis in his video, I remember because it was the first time I heard about bees needing Propolis in order to seal off their hives and that harvesting carefully for medicinal properties. Good luck and God Bless
Been looking at this plant lately, perfect timing! I love plants that do double duty as tea plants and pollinator attractants. (Bee balm is another classic.)
Hi Daniel - I agree with the 'double duty' flowers. Spicebush (although a shrub) really does double duty! You don't necessarily have to grow them either. If you can locate a patch you can go forage the leaves, twigs, or the berries. I've grown to love just munching on the berries as I hike. Around here (South PA, zone 6) they berries usually ripen in September.
Idk if you are still active on older videos but this helped me massively and my Anise Hyssop are thriving I also live in a very heavy deer and reindeer area. Suburban Philly and they have not bothered any of my culinary herbs which I mainly grow. Here's my list of my active plants 1. Anise Hyssop 2. Arugula 3. Basil 4. Dill 5. Kale 6. Marigolds 7. Microgreens 8. Mint 9. Parsley 10. Peppermint 11. Rosemary 12. Sage 13. Thyme
I just found your plant videos and I believe they are one of the best series on RU-vid. Very informative, well presented, great photography. Good source of info for a plant novice or seasoned professional.
Yes sir! I am a professional landscape designer with a degree in Landscape Architecture from NCSU School of Design in Raleigh. After 25 years as a designer I am still happily learning more about plants every day and don't ever plan on stopping. Keep making your videos and i will keep watching and learning. Thank you!@@growitbuildit
Came across this one today and it's growing here in Missouri too❣️ thanks for the video I found it in my daughter's yard in Louisiana, Missouri I'm going to try growing it in mine❣️ In the suburbs of St Louis
BTW: It’s really easy to root by cuttings. Which I accidentally found out as wind knocked my newly planted ones to bits. So I just put the stems in a pot. And now I’m getting ready to plant them. Just now. Just as your video popped up!
Hi, Joe! I just used your link to order Anise Hyssop seeds. I have a great indoor starting system and I have high hopes for the 2023 growing season. Thanks again!
Found seeds of hyssop and had no idea what this plant is about, thank you so much for sharing knowledge ❤ well made informative video without any annoying stuff, great job!
Thanks for this helpful video. I have Hyssop in my garden and will be harvesting the seeds now that I have watched this. Next up I'll be watching your winter sowing video. Oh - found your wonderful channel through Mr. Frederick Dunn! 🙂
Thanks for another excellent video. Last month I installed a new pollinator garden in my front yard and included plants I’ve seen in your videos-anise hyssop, baptisia australis, monarda didyma, etc.
Excellent Glenn - you may want to get some liquid fence. Although most of what you list off are definitely deer/rabbit resistant, young plants and foliage will often get browsed.
@@growitbuildit Thanks Joe, I’ll look into that. My biggest problem right now is squirrels-they love to dig around in new beds and try to wreck everything.
Hi, I just started to watch your complete videos and I think that they are wonderfull!!! I am slowly starting my garden and winter sowed Anise Hyssop from seed that I bought from praire moon nursery. I really appreciate the tip about planting early. I really appreciate how detailed your videos are and the link to your page yelps so much. I'm in 6a in central Massachusetts. Such a great native plan in my area. Thank you
Hi Tamar - I'm glad you found us! And I really appreciate the kind words. I try to make my videos as useful as possible to someone interested in a particular species or topic. Good luck with your new plants!
I’ve had good luck taking cuttings to start to plants. Replacing most of my yarrow with hyssops next year, yarrow is pretty for a month then died. Where hyssops blooms all summer and the bees love it!
@@growitbuildit if only I had a larger garden, it’s a postage stamp even though it’s less work at my age I have to pick and choose and only keep what I really love. So a few plants needs to be rehomed
Love this plant! Something I noticed is that it reseeds in areas of less competition from other plants like on the edge of our rain garden next to a macadam street and the slightest crack between our house and driveway. Each year I transplant from these areas and have plenty to share with neighbors and friends.
I was hopefully planning to plant some anise hyssop, but it looks as if living in northeast Tennessee may not be a good place. We are in zone 7 and I did note that it grows up to zone 9. I'm going to give it a try. Thank you so much for all this wonderful information.
I think you’ll be fine. I’m also in Zone 7 (Virgina) and these plants do well here. My local Master Gardeners group planted an anise hyssop in their demonstration garden last year and it was a beast-over 4’ tall and 6’ in diameter with hundreds of flowers! The Queen of the garden for sure!
@Barney - Zone 6. But within miles of 'zone 7'. I guess it depends on the year what zone I'm in. @ bomashisha Lisa - Glenn is right. You can grow this plant in TN!
Happy to see this video after buying & enjoying this plant last summer. Mine grew to 6’ in one season, so I guess it likes where I planted it. It was full of bees, butterflies & occasional hummingbird. A definite winner!
great video! I bought a couple pots at a nursery for my flower beds a couple years ago and it has quickly become a favorite of mine. I wanted to grow lot more for a cut flower garden (great vase life) without buying from a nursery so I bought some seeds. Fingers crossed I can get lots of plants from these seeds, I will be referring to this video come late winter when I start germination.
Thank you Amy! Glad you found the info helpful. I'm sure you going to do great germinating a lot of seeds - I've always had very high germination rates on this species.
I've never winter-sown or stratified my anise hyssop seeds and the germination rate is always very good. I tend to collect the seeds in winter, though. Maybe that helps.
I try to always give the official recommendation of seed preparation/ dormancy. Just because there are many variables that can go into breaking dormancy, and they aren't always known. But I too have germinated this seed in cooler evening April temps, with no winter sowing. I'm not certain I could replicate that in hot temps of June though.
I am a new gardener. I just had 3 anise hyssop plants come up in my side bed. I don't know how they got there but I'm very excited about the free perennials and can hardly wait until they bloom.
After I initially watched this video about a year ago, I bought one from a local nursery. I put it in front of my knockout rosebush thinking it would be a nice accent. However, it is now humongous and totally overshadows my knockout rosebush. I will have to relocate it when it goes dormant. I can’t touch it now because it is full of bees from morning tonight. It is a beautiful plant. Thanks for this great video.
Wow - that is crazy big for Anise Hyssop. Mine never get more than 3'. Last year I planted a cousin of it, Purple Giant Hyssop. It grows much taller and my plants are already 4' tall, but not shading anything out.
Great video as always!! I winter sowed it this year and looking foward to planting it out next week or so. I'm in zone 6a in N.Y and our last frost date is around may 15th.
Nice work . . . I enjoyed the variety of close-up photos and slow-speed video clips. I've grown Anise Hyssop for years (in northwest central Wisconsin) and have promoted natural reseeding in my garden. Anise Hyssop is a lovely, versatile native plant. (I was surprised not to see any milkweeds nearby. Your garden beds would be prime spots for it.)
Hi Ellen, thank you for the kind words. And I did get some great footage. I had much more I that I could've added, but there is only so much time in the video. The main milkweed I have right now is Butterfly Weed, although it was not blooming concurrently with the others. My Swamp Milkweed is gone, although I replant it every couple years. It kind of gets overtaken with all the other plants I have around the micro-prairie.
Hi Wat - I will. Both Anise and Beebalm are in the mint family, so they definitely have some similarities. The square stem is usually the dead-giveaway. And mint family plants often spread, but this one does not. At least I have seen absolutely no evidence of it spreading by rhizomes.
Great video and I really liked your website. I'm trying Anise Hyssop in my UK garden for the first time this year and the information you have supplied is invaluable. Many thanks and kind regards, Keith
A great video beautifully presented. Thank you sir! I have heard of hyssop from the Bible and wondered if it would be attractive to bees and butterflies and now I know! Living in northern UK it seems not to be a problem since it needs the stratification to start so I will give it a try! Blessings and peace
Thank you so much George. This Hyssop is not the same as the Bible though, as this particular species is native to North America. But, it is a lovely plant nonetheless, and will definitely attract bees and butterflies to your garden!
@@growitbuildit Thanks. I will have a look next time I am in the garden centre where I bought the Melua Apple Blossom and see what they have on offer to give the bees a buzx which in turn gives me a buzz too! Blessings and peace
Wonderful video! I just planted some of these in my front yard and have been amazed at how fast they are growing. Love it! Thanks for all the specific information - I’m going to save this video so I can watch it later as my plants continue to develop.
I would like to reiterate what he said that this was one of the busiest plants the pollinators we're attracted to in my garden. I would easily say top favorite for bees where I had it planted. It's not native to my area and I'm making it an exception to include it in my garden for my mostly regional native pollinator garden. Highly recommend this.
Thanks for the informative tutorial. I'll be planting it for the first time and over and above it's beauty, I hope that it will help me as a deterrent to monkeys. I'm in South Africa.
Your knowledge and presentation is exceptional. I'm fairly a new subscriber to your channel & website. Can you tell me please your growing zone? I'm in 7b at the Tennessee Georgia line. I love your flower beds. Also, do you sell seeds or starts from a site?
Thank you Sherry! I'm in Southern Pennsylvania technically in zone 6, but close to the border of zone 7. And I'm sorry, but I do not sell seeds or plants. This is just a hobby!
Thank you so very much! Wow, so.much information! All I Ned to know as I am just now starting my adventure of growing a butterfly, and bird flower garden. I am excited!
@@growitbuildit must be another member but they are great come back every year tons of bees butterflies humming birds . Some even get taller then me and I’m 5’5 so must be giant ones
Hi Rob - I haven't paid close enough attention. But outside of the one I show in the video I believe I saw 1-2 other species on it. But I never ID'd them.
Love the video bro. My bf just planted some. 😅though I did buy an established plant at our local nursery too. Haha. I need blooms this year dang it! Haha
Awesome - You cover all aspects. I have not seen and heard so much info (with links) yet. Thanks Pinching if appropriate with time of year could be added though as if plants tend to flop or for extended bloom. But very well made
really nice video. I will say that I ordered seeds and decided to just skip cold stratification and start indoors like a month ago - the germ rate is probably lower than with cold stratification but each cell still had several seedlings germinate with a small pinch over each. so don't think you necessarily missed the boat if you didn't start cold stratification yet and are willing to use your seed a little less efficiently. either that or the seed purveyor stored the seeds in the cold or something, idk
@@growitbuildit I'm having a strange year with germinating seeds. I direct sowed some of these earlier in the spring and they germinated very quickly, the they seem to refuse to get past about 1/8-1/4 inch. And I've had a fair bit of die off. I've pulled some out and put them in different growing mediums in different spots to see if I can salvage the crop. I something similar with zinnias, but they seem to be finally taking off now that we've gotten so e hot days here in 7b.
I ended up getting about four healthy plants that did great last year and came back vigorously this year, some getting up to 5'..........but now I can't tell if I'm getting root rot or heat stress. I built up the area these were going to be in about a foot with well draining soil over top of clay that I worked with some compost to break up. Leaves are yellowing and dying from the bottom. One plant is just about gone. I thought it was root rot because the clay soil in surrounding areas is still moist from the wet spring we had, even though the soil around these is more dry, but that didn't seem to do anything and they got worse. We've had no rain in almost three weeks, so I have them some liquid fertilizer and some extra water to see if they bounce back. 😞
I planted five of these last month, I love this plant so much! my mom had gotten herself some and has them in pots on her balcony and they’re doing beautifully! But my five plants in an area behind the house that faces north east( her balcony also faces this direction but gets more sun) are NOT. I will say that I have a lot of lavenders in the area I planted mine, they are doing really well. But my anise hyssop isn’t. I started noticing DOWNY mildew right away so I treated that with a combination of baking soda, dish soap, milk, neem, and essential oils and most of the leaves that I sprayed fell off. They seemed unhappy as soon as I put them in the ground. I also watered them with peroxide and water because I suspected root rot as well. The parts where they’re coming out of the ground are very dark colored I don’t know if that is normal but one of them half of the plant broke off. I put some in the ground out of pots last year hoping they would come back, maybe it was too late in the season, I live in zone five in Ohio. Clary Sage and black sage that I planted in that area also they don’t seem happy. With those I thought I was overwatering. There’s a lot of clay but when I dug the holes I filled them with Garden soil and fertilizer. I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong unless they’re just not getting enough sun. I just can’t figure out how often I should be watering them, if they have route right then I was doing it too much, but it’s been really hot and sunny and no rain. I have a gauge to check the moisture and I wondered if I should be only watering when they gauge says very low. My mom’s do not have the downy mildew and we got them at the same store. But hers are in pots.
It sounds like a lack of sun is probably a big part of your problem. These plants like medium to dry soil, but above all it should drain well. You could do a drainage test, but if I were you I would try to get them into the sun more.
Thank you, actually after about a month and a half they really started taking off and ended up to be gorgeous! And I think I got rid of the downy mildew. I’m hoping they come back next year I’m in zone five and last time I planted them they didn’t 😢
I am in South Africa, and ordered these seeds. Holding thumbs it will do well. Here's hoping that the anise scent will keep the monkeys away from my veggie patch !😂
Hi Joe, I just found your channel quite by accident and subscribed. Anise Hyssop also has white flowers. Mine self seeds like crazy which I don't mind. I have it in a bed with native coneflower which also self seeds along with some salvia and daylilies. The bees and butterflies have a field day. Happy gardening from the Pocono mountains Pa. Zone 6A
Sounds good - I've not seen a white version, but I did start growing Purple Giant Hyssop, which actually has white flowers. But it is much larger. I really haven't had the self-seeding issue at all
Had recently watched a Q&A video by Frederick Dunn (The Way To Bee) and he mentioned your video on Anise Hyssop. So, I clicked on the link he provided. Just finished watching about 5 or 6 of your videos on various plants and planting processes and found them enlightening with respect to how to prepare these plants for planting next spring. I keep bees and have a number of acres that I wish to enhance with beneficial flowerings to provide nectar and pollen for them, as there is not a great deal here in the conifer timberline. I'm located just north of the 48th parallel at 4000ft in N. Central Washington and spring is about 4 months away. With seeds that state 30 day cold moist stratify or winter sow, can you do the winter sow in jugs at any time as long as the seeds are planted for a minimum 30 days? Or plant about 30 days before the thaw? I'm looking to start Anise Hyssop, Wild Bergamot, Black Eyed Susans, and maybe a few others. Any recommendation or thoughts? This past spring, I planted a few bare-root Little Leaf Lynden's, and then 3 5gal potted Apple trees this summer. But these are a few years from providing any value for the bees. Sorry this went a bit long, and thanks for the informative videos.
Hi Bob - for Winter Sowing / Cold stratification, the 'official' guide is to give them 30 days in the fridge, in a moist environment like a moist paper towel or sand in a bag or container. For Winter Sowing, it doesn't have to be freezing temperatures, just cold. So if it is getting to the 40's at night that is perfectly fine. It just needs the time in a cold moist environment to trick the seed into thinking it has gone through a winter. Some species really need a long cold treatment while others can skate by with less. But if you Winter Sow my March you should be just fine with most species in your location. For plants, I would also suggest looking at some Asters that are native to your area. For me, Aromatic Aster is just about the last thing to bloom (Oct/Nov) and it does attract honey bees. It can provide a lot of nectar for your bees late into the season.
@@growitbuildit Thank you for the quick response. We haven't seen 40's since probably November and won't for about a month yet. So, winter sowing would probably be my best option to get seeds started up here. Thanks again for the informative videos.
