Tulsi Basil and Anise Hyssop Easy, Useful, and Adaptable

Metus dictum at tempor commodo

Every part of anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) smells and tastes of anise. It is native to the U.S. upper Midwest and Great Plains and is also commonly known as blue giant hyssop and lavender giant hyssop. It grows well across Maryland as an annual or tender perennial (overwinters most years at my Howard Co. home). Although it self-sows readily it has not been terribly aggressive; I haven’t seen it spread beyond its main planting sites.

Tulsi basil (Ocimum sanctum or Ocimum tenuiflorum) is also known as holy basil. It is revered in India as a sacred, medicinal plant. Tulsi grows rapidly and blooms continually from June through first frost. Individual plants can easily cover 10 sq. ft. but can be pruned to fit smaller spaces. It’s one of the very few types of basil not infected by basil downy mildew, the scourge of basil lovers. It is not a culinary substitute for Italian basil but is widely used in South Asian cuisines.

With both plants, I have mainly made herbal tea with dried leaves but need to branch out to cocktails, cut flowers, etc. It’s easy to save seeds of anise hyssop and tulsi basil by cutting mature seed heads in early fall. I allow them to dry further in large paper bags. Seeds for both can be started indoors 5-8 weeks before the last frost in spring or sown directly in garden beds or containers. Both plants produce small dark seeds that can be difficult to separate from dry seed heads. So it’s ok to plant the small plant fragments, dust, and hard seeds pinched from the bottom of the bag.