Agastache (ah-GAHS-tah-key) is a genus of about thirty species of upright perennial herbs that are native to North America and Asia. Also known as hyssop or hummingbird mint, these plants are famous for their ability to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Ranging from a bit over 12 inches to well over four feet tall, Agastache’s stiff, angular stems bear toothed, lanceolate leaves and flower spikes that produce tubular blossoms. Blooming usually begins in midsummer and lasts until frost.
Agastache’s two-lipped blossoms can be white, mauve, lavender, orange, peach, pink, coral-red, or even burnt sienna. Many are lightly fragrant, and several varieties produce copious volumes of nectar for those creatures that appreciate it.
How to Grow and Maintain Agastache
- Anyone who can successfully grow lavender can also grow Agastache, which prefers well-drained, low-fertility soils and gravel mulches. Most varieties do well in hot, sunny spots; some cultivars are more xeric than others, but all benefit from deep, infrequent watering once the plants are established.
- Most cultivars are hardy to at least USDA Zone 6, many are hardy to Zone 5, and a few will overwinter in Zone 4. Winter hardiness can be improved by leaving old stems intact in the fall. In the spring, all varieties benefit from trimming old stems just above the new foliage.
- When grown together, different varieties of Agastache will cross-pollinate and reseed. Typically, new seedlings will be inferior to the parent plants, so volunteer seedlings should be removed to prevent them from crowding out the original plants. Regular deadheading will also reduce reseeding.
- Agastache makes a good companion for other flowers, making it useful in cottage gardens. Shorter varieties can be planted in drifts or along borders, while taller cultivars work best as a backdrop along walls or fences.
- Areas with wetter winters will support Agastache, but in such locations sandy soils and south- or west-facing sites, raised beds, or container plantings are often necessary to ensure success.
Popular Varieties of Agastache
- *Agastache rupestris (Licorice mint): coral-colored flowers; up to 42" tall; hardy in Zones 4-9; xeric; spicy fragrance
- A. rugosum (Korean hyssop): deep violet flowers; 24" tall; Zones 5-9; mint fragrance; better tolerance to wetter winters than many other varieties; attractive to butterflies
- *A. cana (Texas hummingbird mint): tubular, raspberry-pink flowers; 24-36"; Zones 5-9; xeric
- A. ‘Blue Fortune’: lavender-blue flowers; 36" tall; Zones 4-10; light mint fragrance; tolerant to wet winters; attractive to butterflies
- *A. Acapulco Salmon & Pink: bi-colored orange and pink flowers; 24-30" tall; Zones 5-10; mint-scented foliage
- *A. Acapulco Orange: orange flowers; 16-18"; Zones 5-10; mint-scented foliage; compact and good for borders, drifts, and containers
(*Attracts hummingbirds)
Agastache is a versatile, colorful, and low-maintenance member of the perennial flower garden. It is pleasing to the human eye, and most varieties will attract hummingbirds or butterflies as well.
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