Agastache

(Agastache foeniculum) Beloved by pollinators and tea aficionados alike. A perennial that blooms in the first year, it is hardy from USDA zones 4-8. Considered extremely easy to grow, this is a top choice for beds, borders, herb gardens, and even containers. The leaves and flowers are used to make one of the best herb teas; the foliage possesses a naturally sweet, wonderful anise taste and fragrance. Bees love the pretty purple flower spikes! The plant has many uses, including medicinal. It is a useful herb integral to the ethnobotanical history of many Native American cultures, and it has historically been used to treat congestion. The steeped leaves are said to induce sweating and have been a key part of sweat lodges. There are myriad medicinal and culinary uses for this amazing plant.

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 7-16 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 68-70 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/4"
  
• Plant Spacing: 12-18"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Agastache foeniculum
  

Growing Tips: Start seeds indoors at least 6-8 weeks before the last frost date in well-drained, sterile seed-starting mix, keeping uniformly moist until sprouts appear.

(Agastache aurantiaca) Perennial in zones 6-9 (otherwise grow as an annual). Set off a blazing display of tangerine-colored fireworks in your garden with this phenomenal, fragrant agastache. This native wildflower blooms appear in mid to late summer. Plants reach 15 to 18 inches tall and about 24 inches wide. The foliage and flowers are delightfully fragrant, and the orange, trumpet-shaped blooms are highly attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 14-21 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 60-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: Surface
• Plant Spacing: 12”
• Frost Hardy: Yes
• Agastache aurantiaca

Growing Tips: Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost date or direct sow after. Surface sow and press lightly into the soil. Keep seeds moist until germination. Light aids germination.

Perennial. Think Anise Hyssop with a twist. This variety blooms in clear pink rather than the more usual lavender-purple. Incredibly free flowering on compact plants bloom early summer right through to hard frost, and the bees, butterflies and, hummingbirds love it!

• Perennial
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-16 Days
• Seed Depth: Surface Sow
• Ideal Temperature: 68 F
• Plant Spacing: 12" 
• Frost Hardy: No
• Agastache hybrida

Growing Tips: Tender perennial. Surface sow, pressing seeds into the soil. Will transplant easily at any age or direct sow after danger of frost. Prefers full sun and sandy, moist, well-drained loam soil. 

(Agastache aurantiaca) Perennial in zones 6-10, typically grown as an annual. Deliciously fragrant flower spikes in apricot, grape, and raspberry colors! Prepare for the buzz of a diversity of beneficial insects and hummingbirds! These 2-foot-tall plants are a welcome addition to the pollinator garden.

• Full Sun

• Sprouts in 14-21 Days

• Ideal Temperature: 60-90 Degrees F

• Seed Depth: Surface Sow

• Plant Spacing: 12" apart
  

• Frost Hardy: Yes

• Agastache aurantiaca

Growing Tips: Perennial zones 7-10. Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost date or direct sow after. Surface sow and press tightly into the soil. Keep seeds moist until germination. Light aids germination.

(Agastache rugosa) Also known as purple giant hyssop, this highly ornamental medicinal herb is native to East Asia. The chartreuse, golden foliage and heavy scent make this an award-winning perennial. This easy, adaptable perennial is attractive to pollinators and makes a lovely anise-flavored tea. Hardy from zones 5-10. A key herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the plant is used to soothe digestion and many other ailments. The purple blooms add brush strokes of color to the perennial border all summer long. Plants average 2 feet tall and will be covered in oodles of butterflies and bees; goldfinches also love the seeds. One of the most beautiful and fragrant plants in our garden.

• 8-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 7-16 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 68 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: Surface Sow
  
• Plant Spacing: 12"
• Frost Hardy: No
  
• Agastache rugosa
  

Growing Tips: Surface sow, pressing seeds into the soil. Will transplant easily at any age or direct sow after danger of frost. Prefers full sun and sandy, moist, well-drained loam soil.

(Agastache rugosa) This highly aromatic perennial herb is native to East Asia and is hardy from USDA zones 5-10. A more robust relative of Anise hyssop, it has similar flavor and overall appearance, but at four feet tall, it is much larger. One of the 50 Fundamental Herbs in Chinese traditional medicine, this plant has been studied in recent times for its antibacterial properties. It makes a wonderful base for herbal tea blends and a definitive statement in the garden! Referred to as Huoxiang in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the dried leaves and flowers are used to treat many ailments. A mellow cup of hyssop tea is a phenomenal pick-me-up and will soothe the stomach.

• 6-12 hours of Sun
• Sprouts in 7-16 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 68-70 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1/4"
• Plant Spacing: 12-18"
• Frost Hardy: Yes
  
• Agastache rugosa
  

Growing Tips: Start seeds indoors at least 6-8 weeks before the last frost date in well-drained, sterile seed-starting mix, keeping uniformly moist until sprouts appear.

(Agastache aurantiaca) Perennial in zones 6-10, or grow as an annual. This tidy and compact agastache produces soft lavender-colored flower spikes irresistible to pollinators and a range of beneficial insects. Plants are perfectly suited for pots as well as beds and borders, as they reach just 10 inches tall. The foliage and blooms are delightfully fragrant and make a flavorful tea that we love to sip. A fabulous choice for the tea garden or your pollinator patch.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 14-21 days
• Ideal Temperature: 60-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: Surface Sow
• Plant Spacing: 12”
• Frost Hardy: Yes
• Agastache aurantiaca  

Growing Tips: Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost date or direct sow after. Surface sow and press lightly into the soil. Keep seeds moist until germination. Light aids germination.

(Agastache aurantiaca) Perennial in USDA zones 5-10. Heavenly fragrance and stunning raspberry-colored flowers make this agastache irresistible to pollinators, and a favorite in our trial gardens! Plants average 15 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Attractive to a wide range of pollinators and also resistant to deer and rabbits. Blooms from early summer to mid fall.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 14-21 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 60-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: Surface Sow
• Plant Spacing: 12" apart
  
• Frost Hardy: Yes
• Agastache aurantiaca

Growing Tips: Perennial zones 4-10. Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost date or direct sow after. Surface sow and press tightly into the soil. Keep seeds moist until germination. Light aids germination.

(Agastache pallidiflora ssp. neomexicana) This aromatic perennial has a phenomenal minty, rose fragrance. Prepare for a super long season of heavenly scented blooms; this agastache will set flowers in June that last until September! Its cheerful pink flower spikes attract pollinators and beneficials from across the animal kingdom! The irresistible blooms are colored a lavender-rose, and add drifts of soft color and heady scent to landscapes. The care-free plants thrive even in poor soil. This plant is highly revered by the Ramah Navajo, who use the plant parts in ceremonies as well as for their medicinal properties. A native of New Mexico and Texas.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 14-21 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 60-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: Surface Sow
• Plant Spacing: 12" apart
  
• Frost Hardy: Yes
• Agastache pallidiflora ssp. neomexicana

Growing Tips: Perennial zones 4-10. Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost date or direct sow after. Surface Sowand press tightly into the soil. Keep seeds moist until germination. Light aids germination.

(Agastache cana) Tidy half-hardy perennial that is aromatic and attractive to pollinators. Plants fill the air with minty fragrance; the pretty spike flowers are popular for arranging. This dynamic landscape plant is easy to grow, adds long-season color, and grows in neat clumps that do not spread or take over. Hardy, overwinters from zones 6a-9b, but can be easily grown farther north as an annual. Pollinators are drawn to its fragrance, and hummingbirds cannot resist the flowers! This plant can be dried for making tea and is also used to make a mosquito-repelling oil. 

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 14-21 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 60-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: Surface Sow
• Plant Spacing: 12" apart
  
• Frost Hardy: Yes
• Agastache cana

Growing Tips: Perennial zones 6a-9b. Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date or direct sow after. Surface Sow and press tightly into the soil. Keep seeds moist until germination. Light aids germination.