growth, harvest, tincture:
i grew this anise hyssop myself from seed.
i love the company ‘strictly medicinal seeds’ and buy most of my seeds from them.
i harvested my anise hyssop from mid-late summer and tinctured it fresh in vodka.
i make my tinctures very strong and tend to long steep them.

anise hyssop is the most pungent mint i have ever experienced.
it is intensely aromatic and truly smells like a sweet skunk. this was my first year growing anise hyssop and the bees and pollinators went absolutely crazy for it. it was very resilient and grew back nicely after i’d snip some for tincture. it bloomed over and over.
the blooms lasted a long time. you can tell it’s a strongly warming plant because it took a number of hard frosts to force it into full dormancy.


what is anise hyssop for?
i am still getting to know this remedy but it has an intense scent that is clearly very penetrating. that means it will get deep into the system to drive out phlegm and release obstructions.
that also means it is diaphoretic and will open pores and the ‘tubes’ of the body benefit circulation, release fevers and expel phlegm/obstructions/pathogens.
it is known as a good remedy for cold + flu situations- fevers, coughs, congestion and particularly for sore throats.

it’s also worth noting that the deep penetration and intense aromatics make anise hyssop an excellent consideration for people who struggle with body odor. diet + lifestyle may be a factor here, but anise hyssop can work on clearing toxins that are trying to release via sweat. for oil imbalances (spectrum of no oil- way too much oil) see ‘burdock root’.

anise hyssop is both stimulating and relaxing, helping the body to find its center when things are awry. how can it be both? as aforementioned, it helps the body to expel phlegm and to induce sweating and urination- that’s stimulating new action. this gives the body new ways to remove phlegm, which signals for new immune factors to replenish mucous membranes. thus, it stimulates the immune system to fight bugs while it cleans house. it’s relaxing because most members of the mint family are at least relaxing to some extent, some being more blatant nervines than others. anise hyssop ‘relaxes’ the tubes of the body to allow that expectoration (stimulation). it relaxes and opens the pores to allow fevers to release and to push pathogens out through the periphery.

putting it in perspective
in western medicine we think of ‘killing bugs’ with medication, but in natural medicine it’s all about helping the body create an environment that is not conducive for invaders or infections. infections happen when there is stagnation. it’s easy to imagine a sniffly nose and scratchy throat turning into a chest cold that turns into bronchitis. how does this happen? the pathogen wasn’t checked strongly enough and penetrated to deeper layers of the body.

the body brings fresh immune factors to the lungs and sinuses through mucous membranes to fight pathogens. the immune factors do their work and hopefully get coughed up or expelled in a clearish or whitish phlegm. a little yellow is ok. but when you’re not having a productive cough or you start seeing bright yellow or electric green phlegm- now you know that there is stagnation and infection in the space. your body is struggling to clear the spent immune factors and cant lay down new ones with the old ones baked down on the surfaces. this is why it’s so important to use your remedies early and at effective doses. by helping the body do what it’s already trying to do, you can prevent the pathogens from penetrating the body more deeply.

actually, at the first tickle of an impending bug, you can often take steps that prevent it from coming on at all. you have to catch it early. first, take a strong dose of a warming, diaphoretic cold + flu remedy (i’ll make a list below) and *then* take a very hot shower or bath. so important to *stay very warm* dry off and immediately put on warm clothes. wrap up in a blanket and sweat it out. you can use a heating pad if you’d like. you can have more of your remedy if you’d like. hot herbal tea or even just hot water is great here. take a good rest and sweat it out. you should wake up better in the morning. this is ‘pushing a pathogen out through the periphery’ or pushing a pathogen out of the skin and lungs before it can set in and cause illness. you can use anise hyssop for this! please expect to sweat and maybe even pee more than usual while you’re in the throes of this process. it’s like inducing a fever intentionally to help your body mobilize the immune system.

yes, fevers are for something! and that’s why it’s so important to help your body do what it’s trying to do instead of fighting against it. our bodies contain innate wisdom for how to heal, restore and rebalance themselves. we use diaphoretic herbs to ‘push the fever through’ to release the fever, as opposed to turning the fever off.

some options for what can work
it’s so so important to use quality remedies here! i would use a remedy that you feel comfortable taking a stiff dose of. i like a very hot cup of fresh white pine tea or good morning grouchy (if day time) with some elderberry tincture. those are easily available things to me. i also like 1-2 dropper fulls of anise hyssop tincture (directly into your mouth) and a mug of hot water to follow. i’ve taken lower doses of anise hyssop and feel comfortable and confident in a stiffer dose when i need some muscle. i think sage is another 10/10 remedy that is totally under utilized- very close relative to anise hyssop.

here’s a non exhaustive list of excellent cold + flu remedies that can also make you sweat. i make a list like this because i get tons of messages from people who are in the throes of a bug and their order won’t get to them for a few days. so i like to include a long list so if you’re in a pickle, you can at least find something on hand to get you through.

some good considerations:
anise hyssop
elderberry + elderflower
white pine
sage
yarrow
thyme
lemongrass
ginger
star anise
cayenne
cinnamon
clove
white horehound
hyssop
parsley
sweet annie
(low dose blue vervain tincture pairs beautifully with yarrow tea)
(low dose boneset with yarrow or low dose blue vervain is wonderful when you’re stuck with deep bone pain. this often happens to elderly or immunocompromised when they’re stuck in an illness they can’t pull out of for awhile)

*please remember to always always brew + steep your tea COVERED for these remedies.
the oils are important to preserving full medicinal potential!

i always consult for free for your safety and benefit. message me any time. i can give you my email address or phone number (text) for easier communication. best!~

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