Purple giant hyssop facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Purple giant hyssop
Agastache scrophulariifolia
Scientific classification
Genus:	Agastache
Species:	scrophulariifolia

The purple giant hyssop (scientific name: Agastache scrophulariifolia) is a plant that comes back every year. It grows in many parts of the United States and in Northern Ontario, Canada. This plant is very helpful to pollinators like bees and butterflies. People also use it for its special medicinal qualities, just like many other plants in the mint family. It often grows in open areas or places that have been changed, where it doesn't have to fight with other plants that aren't native to the area.

What is Purple Giant Hyssop?

This plant is a type of herb that lives for many years. It can grow quite tall, sometimes reaching up to six feet high! The purple giant hyssop is part of the mint family. Its flowers bloom later in the season.

The plant usually has several flower spikes. Not all the flowers open at the same time. Their colors can be lavender or pink. After the flowers, the plant makes small, dark brown fruits called nutlets.

Where Does Purple Giant Hyssop Grow?

The purple giant hyssop used to grow in many states across the U.S. and in Ontario, Canada. These states included Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, and many others. However, the plant is now much harder to find in many of these places. In some areas, it has completely disappeared.

This decline is mainly because the places where it lives are being lost. Deer also eat the plants, which reduces their numbers. Another problem is that other plants, which are not native to the area, compete with the hyssop for space and resources.

Protecting Purple Giant Hyssop

Because its numbers are shrinking, the purple giant hyssop is protected in several states.

• It is listed as endangered in Connecticut and Massachusetts. This means it is at very high risk of disappearing forever.
• It is listed as threatened in Maryland and Vermont. This means it is likely to become endangered soon.
• It is a special concern in Kentucky and Tennessee. This means it needs careful watching to make sure its numbers don't drop too much.

Where Purple Giant Hyssop Lives

The purple giant hyssop likes to grow in certain kinds of places. It thrives near rivers and streams, in open areas that have been disturbed, and in meadows. These spots are good for the plant because there are fewer other plants competing with it.

When these natural areas change, or when old farms turn back into forests, the purple giant hyssop loses its home. This plant lives for many years and grows best in sandy, loamy soils. Its seeds also need sunlight to start growing.

How People Use Purple Giant Hyssop

Many people enjoy the purple giant hyssop for its pleasant smell. The leaves of the plant can also be eaten.

Traditional Uses

The Meskwaki people, a Native American tribe, have traditionally used this plant. They would make a special tea from the root to help the body remove extra water. They also used parts of the plant's flower heads for other medicinal purposes.