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Agastache rugosa

Agastache rugosa: Flowers
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Agastache rugosa: Flowers
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Common name:	Korean Mint	Family:	Labiatae
Author:	(Fisch.&C.A.Mey.)Kuntze.	Botanical references:	58, 200, 275
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Siberia
Habitat:	Grassy places in mountains, especially by streams, and in valleys all over Japan[58]. Sunny, more or less stony meadows from the lowlands to elevations of 1500 metres[275].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Lophanthus rugosus[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Korean Mint [H],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1m by 0.6m . It is hardy to zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen in September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Condiment; Leaves; Seed; Tea.

Young leaves - raw or cooked[177]. A strong anise-like fragrance, they are normally used as a flavouring[183] or as an addition to the salad bowl[238]. We find them a bit coarse and too strong for use as a salad[K].
The leaves can be used as a tea substitute[183]. A pleasant flavour[238].
The seed is possibly edible[177]. No further details. The seed certainly should not be poisonous, but it is very small and its use would be very fiddly[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antibacterial; Antifungal; Antipyretic; Aromatic; Cancer; Carminative; Diaphoretic; Febrifuge; Refrigerant; Stomachic.

Korean mint is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[218]. Considered to be a "warming" herb, it is used in situations where there is "dampness" within the digestive system, resulting in poor digestion and reduced vitality[254].
The leaves and stems are antibacterial, antifungal, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, febrifuge and stomachic[147, 176, 218, 238, 279]. They are used internally to improve the appetite and strengthen the digestive system[238], they relieve symptoms such as abdominal bloating, indigestion, nausea and vomiting[254]. They are also used to treat morning sickness[254]. The leaves are also used in the treatment of chest congestion, diarrhoea and headaches[218]. An infusion of the leaves is used in the treatment of angina pains[222].
The plant is used as a folk remedy for cancer, extracts of the plant have shown anticancer activity[218].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a sunny sheltered position and a well-drained soil[200].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[200].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[244].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 13°c[133]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first year. Plant out in late spring or early summer[K].
Division in spring. Fairly simple, if large divisions are used it is possible to plant them straight out into their permanent positions.
Basal cuttings of young shoots in spring[111]. Harvest the young shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm tall and pot them up in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse. They should root within 3 weeks and can be planted out in the summer or following spring.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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