Thursday, May 30, 2013

Delicious Licorice Mint - An under-appreciated native herb

Licorice mint is so easy to grow and is so tasty to nibble on. Just plant it outside or in a big pot. Pick off the leaves to nibble or to make tea. It's also a Chinese Medicinal plant with many uses including to treat anxiety and nausea. Put it in full or part sun in the garden or a pot and give it moderate water. Picking the leaves from the top will help it grow bushier. In summer it will make beautiful purple flowers that bees love!
It grows about 2ft high and is usually perennial, and will drop lots of seeds. Other names for it are Korean Hyssop, Korean mint and Agastache Foeniculum. It is not a true mint, so will not aggressively take over the garden.