Hardiness zones
Sunset 8-10, 12-24
USDA 9 (might freeze) to 11

Landscape Use: Accent shrub, herb garden, mixed flower garden

Form & Character: An easy to grow herbaceous perennial, upright and open, formal and stiff.

Growth Habit: Moderately clumping to 4' tall with nearly equal spread

Foliage/Texture: Glossy green foliage, lanceolate, smooth and entire margins, aromatic, anise or licorice, medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Small, terminal, yellow daisy flowers, fruits inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: Yellow blooms in winter.

Temperature: Tolerant of desert heat, though avoid western or reflected exposures. Damaged by freezes below 28^oF.

Light: Full sun

Soil: WELL DRAINED it must be - no prolonged wet soil. Generally a high nutritional requirement, heavy feeder

Watering: Water nearly daily during hottest times of summer tapering to every 5-7 days during winter

Pruning: Light shearing or tipping to promote tight habit at any time, or can the whole plant to the ground once a year in early spring.

Propagation: Seed - sow in March, needs warmth. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks. Also propagate by basal cuttings in spring or division.

Disease and pests: None

Additional comments: Does poorly in damp or poorly drained cool soils. A medicinal and cooking herb. The leaves and whole plant are digestive, diuretic, hypotensive, narcotic, sedative and stimulant. Use of the plant depresses the central nervous system, whilst it is also reputedly anesthetic and hallucinogenic. It is used internally in the treatment of diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, colic, hiccups, malaria and feverish illnesses. Externally, it has been used to treat scorpion bites and to remove ticks.

The leaves can be dried and ground into a powder and used as a tarragon substitute for flavoring soups and sauces. They have an anise-like flavor and are an important flavoring of 'chocolatl', the foaming cocoa-based drink of the Aztec Indians. The dried leaves and flowering tops are brewed into a pleasant anise-flavored tea. This is a very popular drink in Latin America. The petals are used as a condiment. The leaves can be harvested and used as required, whilst the whole plant is harvested when in flower and can be dried for later use.