Giant Hyssop

English

Giant Hyssop

Latin

Agastache foeniculum

Anishinaabemowin

weza 'wunuckwuk'

Physical Description

Giant hyssop has anise-scented leaves that are soft and white beneath. The blue or violet flowers appear on a spike in August and September. Two pairs of stamens protrude beyond the petals, one pair curving upward, the other down­ ward, crossing each other. It grows to heights of 3 to5 feet in prairies, inland sand areas and other dry ground.
(Plants used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa)

Uses & Preparation

Traditional medical uses of this plant included an infusion of the roots for colds, chest pain, and coughs; and a simple or compound poultice of leaves or stems for burns.
(Plants used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa)

Sources

Plants used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa, Meeker, Elias and Heim, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Odanah, WI, 1993