''Agastache scrophulariifolia'', also known as the purple giant hyssop, is a perennial plant that grows throughout the United States and northern Ontario, Canada. Its name comes from the similarity of its leaves to plants of the genus ''

Scrophularia The genus ''Scrophularia'' of the family Scrophulariaceae comprises about 200 species of herbaceous flowering plants commonly known as figworts. Species of ''Scrophularia'' all share square stems, opposite leaves and open two-lipped flowers fo ...

''. It is a beneficial plant to pollinators and is noted for its medicinal properties, as many plants in the mint family are. It tends to grow in disturbed or open areas where it does not have to interact with non-native competitive plants.

Description

Individuals of this species are perennial herbs that can grow up to six feet tall. They are late-flowering species in the mint family. ''Agastache scrophulariifolia'' tends to have several spiked inflorescence. Flowers of ''Agastache scrophulariifolia'' do not all bloom simultaneously and range from lavender to pink in color. The dark brown fruit they produce is a

nutlet A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, many dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context, "nut" implies that the shell does not open ...

Similar species

In many cases, herbal and landscape plants identified as ''A. scrophulariifolia'' are actually '' A. foeniculum'' and '' A. rugosa''.Roger Guillermo Fuentes-Granados
"Genetic Studies of Agastache."
Iowa State University PhD dissertation. 1997. p. 14.

Distribution

''A. scrophulariifolia '' was once distributed throughout CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, and ON, Canada. However, its range is now severely reduced in many areas and in some cases extirpated completely. These declines are largely due to

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

, predation by deer, and competition for resources with non-native plants. ''A. scrophulariifolia'' tends to grow in

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...

habitats, disturbed open areas, and meadows. The previously mentioned areas are ideal for because competition with other plants is reduced. It is a perennial plant that grows well in sandy loamy soils and requires sunlight for its seeds to germinate.

Ecology

As riparian habitats are altered or farmlands return to forest communities, ''A. scrophulariifolia ''suffers from

. It is listed as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

and

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, as threatened in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, and as a special concern in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

and

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

Usage

Many people use this plant for its aromatic effects. Its leaves are edible.

Medicinal

The

Meskwaki The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...

use an

infusion Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An inf ...

of the root as a

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...

, and also use a compound of the plant heads medicinally.Smith, Huron H. 1928 Ethnobotany of the Meskwaki Indians. Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 4:175-326 (p. 225)

Notes

References

* Plants Profile for Agastache scrophulariifolia (Purple giant hyssop). Plants Profile for Agastache scrophulariifolia (Purple giant hyssop). Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=AGSC PURPLE GIANT HYSSOP Agastache scrophulariifolia (Willd.) Kuntze. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_agsc.pdf {{Taxonbar, from=Q15339351 scrophulariifolia Flora of the United States Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Willdenow Plants used in traditional Native American medicine