Agastache foeniculum

Native to Canada and the northwestern and north-central United States, this aromatic herbaceous perennial grows about 2 to 4 feet tall. Its leaves smell of anise or licorice when crushed and are used to flavor teas, salads, and jellies; the flowers are also edible. Spikes of small, two-lipped flowers bloom from midsummer into fall. Goldfinches and other birds eat the seeds. It spreads by underground stems and readily self-seeds. Outside its native range, it has naturalized in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Photographed in Virginia.