Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum
 
Anise Hyssop is a bee magnet, with attractive spikes of lavender-blue flowers that bloom from July to September. It grows between 60 cm and 1.20 m tall. The leaves are fragrant when crushed, with a pleasant minty, licorice-like scent, and can be used to make tea or eaten raw in small quantities at any time. The best time to harvest the leaves is when the flowers are just past full bloom, since the oil content in the leaves is highest. 
 
Ecology:
It's a bee magnet! Lots of nectar attracts bumblebees, mining bees, leaf-cutter bees, sweat bees, hummingbirds, beneficial insects, butterflies, skippers, and even moths at night. In winter, the seeds provide food for songbirds. The hollow sturdy stems provide ideal conditions for stem-nesting bees. To support stem-nesters, cut stems to a height longer than one foot at any time in spring to open the stem so the bees have easy access to build a nest, and leave the cut stems indefinitely until they decompose naturally. 
 
Growing conditions:
In the wild, anise hyssop grows at forest edges, floodplains, along rivers and lakes, on rocky slopes and in prairies. Prefers full to part sun. It is very adaptable to various soil types, including sandy, loamy, or shallow rocky soils, and to medium to dry soil conditions. It requires well-drained soils to avoid root rot. Once established, it is drought-tolerant.
 
Anise hyssop is a clump-forming, relatively short-lived perennial that self-seeds politely and forms tidy clumps. It is low-maintenance and reliable. It can easily be grown and overwintered in containers.
 
Like all mints, it is deer-resistant (rabbits will still eat it) and can be planted around or intermingled with plants like asters that deer love to protect those plants.