ABSTRACT
Anise hyssop is essentially a prairie plant, centered in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada. Methyl chavicol from anise hyssop is used in liqueurs, some foods, and root beer. Grown in the home garden for its beautiful appearance, anise hyssop also serves as an extraordinarily useful culinary herb. Anise hyssop has achieved limited commercial significance, primarily as a source of the chemical methyl chavicol, which is used in part as a flavorant. The blooms of anise hyssop are so attractive to honeybees for preparing honey that the herb has been called the “wonder honey plant,” and it is cultivated in the United States specifically for bees, producing an excellent light-colored honey. A small jar can be filled with fresh anise hyssop leaves and flowers, and liquid honey can be added, and the mixture left for a month before using.
