Successful cultivation of agastache

Native to North America, agastache is a beautiful, ornamental, and honey-producing herb that is very hardy* and undemanding. Its bright blue flowers exude a powerful aniseed scent. Used as an aromatic and condiment in North American and Asian cuisines, the flowers decorate dishes, and the leaves are used in infusions or in cooking as anise substitutes, to flavor raw vegetables, salads, fish, drinks, or cakes.

The various species of agastache (such as aniseed agastache or rugosa agastache) are native to China, Japan, and North America. There, they were often used primarily as ornamental plants, before being later combined with aromatic plants.

The word "agastache" comes from the Greek aga, meaning abundance, and stachys, meaning ear. Foeniculum is the Latin name for fennel.

Agastache has a strong aniseed taste.

This plant has medicinal properties. Consumed as a flower tea or dried leaves, it is said to have positive effects on digestion and combat vomiting. It is also used in Mexico to combat fever.

Today, there are mainly two varieties of agastache: Agastache foeniculum and Agastache rugosa .

• Difficulty level : 1/3.
• Density : 4 plants/m²
• Life cycle : Annual
• Mode of reproduction : Sexual or vegetative.
• Type of pollination : Allogamous , pollination by insects.
• Weight per 1000 seeds : 0.3 to 0.4 g.

• Climate zone and hardiness : Agastache adapts to all types of French climates.
• Soil type : Deep, light and rich in humus.
• pH : Soil pH does not matter, agastache tolerates all soil types.
• Moisture : Well-drained soil.
• Exposure : Sunny
• Temperature : Once the plants have sprouted, place them at a temperature below 20°C.
• Frost resistance : If the agastache is well established, it is frost resistant down to -15°C.

• Soil preparation : Agastache only requires well-drained soil, but adding compost is possible. This will both nourish the soil and improve its drainage.
  
• Transplanting : Transplant in mid-May, when there is no longer any risk of frost.
• Watering :
  • Frequency: Occasional watering, except in pots where regular watering is required to limit the drying out of the soil.
  • Quantity: Moderate watering.
  • Period: Only in case of strong heat, otherwise it does not require watering.
• Tools : Watering can, spade and hoe or hoe.
• Weeding : In autumn, weed to keep the soil as clean as possible.
• Hoeing / weeding / earthing up / mulching : Hoeing, weeding, earthing up and mulching are not necessary for growing agastache, even if mulching in summer cannot harm it.
• Winter protection : Light winter protection may be necessary for certain more sensitive varieties.
• Harvest period : From July to October.
• Part of the plant : The leaves of the agastache are eaten, but the flowers can also be used.
• Stage : The leaves are harvested, if possible, just before flowering and the flowers are harvested gradually from May to October.

Pinch the plant once to obtain a more compact plant.

• Method : Harvest the leaves in the morning and consume them immediately. They can also be dried in the shade and stored in airtight containers.
• Duration : Fresh, they are eaten immediately, but dried, they can be kept for several months.

• Culinary : New Carrot Cake with Aniseed Agastache is an example of a recipe to cook with agastache. Its leaves are a delight in fish papillotes or to accompany white meats, but they also enhance fresh summer soups and fruit salads.