Agastache

[Lori S.]

It sure looks like another nice one - I'll keep a lookout for seed next year!  The aroma sounds wonderful - I really like the extra dimension that fragrant foliage adds to a plant... or at least I assume it's the foliage that has the licorice scent? 

[James Mikkelsen]

I really like the extra dimension that fragrant foliage adds to a plant... or at least I assume it's the foliage that has the licorice scent?

It is indeed from the foliage.  I usually bring some of the leaves down from the mountains (Oh, how it reminds me of camping!), clean it and store it until winter.  In the winter months I make tea from the leaves but it does need something sweet added to it.  I use Blue Agave syrup so I get a good dose of two summer plants!

If you haven't tried Blue Agave syrup or other Agave syrups, do so.  They're very tasty and are generally 1.5X sweeter than sugar.

[McDonough]

Earlier this year I received an order of Agastache from High Country Gardens; to see a list of Agastache available from this fine nursery, click this link:
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/product/11820/

High Country Gardens chief horticulturist David Salman selected for me 5 different Agastache that he thought might do well enough in New England, so I'm happy to try them out. David is also a force in the current enlightenment on this fine genus and a leading player in hybridization efforts; some of the High Country Gardens cultivars look amazing.

An important thing to note is just how well the plants were shipped.  In the photo you can see that plants are shipped with pots and soil; a technique that I've had bad luck with in the past, due to the weight of the pots jostling about in the box leading to major breakage.  However, High Country Gardens takes special precautions to hold both the soil in the pots, and hold the pots steadfastly positioned in the shipping box, a clever solution!  A thin styrofoam inset covers the soil around the pots, held in place with rubber bands.  There are cardboard "holders" inside the box that snugly hold the pots in place; wish I had taken a photo to show here.  Note: the box in the photo is not the box used for shipping... I had transferred the pots to an old low-sided box for the photograph, so the plants could be seen better.




Agastache 'Ava', Zones 5-10, 4-5’ x 24” wide, (Ava's Hummingbird Mint), a hybrid between A. cana and barberi.
Quote from the High Country Gardens catalog:
"Unlike any other Agastache I’ve grown, Ava’s calyxes retain their intense coloration keeping the plant beautiful until hard frost"

Some views of Agastache 'Ava' growing here this summer, from plants shipped to me.  The flowers last all summer long, and as David Salman points out, the colorful calyxes make the flower stalks look substantial and highly colored.  Supposed to be good for dried cut flowers as well.




Agastache 'Pstessene' (Coronado®), Zones 6b(-5 degrees F) to 9, 24-30” x 18” wide, (Coronado Red Hummingbird Mint).
When I try and pronounce the first name, I just spit and sputter some air, so I'll call it after the trademark name of Coronado.
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/product/11840/

Agastache Coronado & Agastache 'Blue Blazes'
Coronado is a young plant, but very brightly colored, I can imagine if it succeeds here and bulks up in size, it could make quite a show.
Next to it is Agastache 'Blue Blazes', the purple in the bracts setting off the blue florets.



Agastache 'Blue Blazes', Zones 5 - 9, 36in. to 5ft., (Blue Blazes Hyssop)
To quote High Country Gardens catalog "Blue Blazes is an amazing hybrid between our own Agastache ‘Desert Sunrise’ (introduced in 2000) and the blue flowered eastern native Agastache foeniculatum. Bred by Kelly Grummons, owner of Timberline Gardens in Arvada, CO."

Also being tried here is A. cana (bright raspberry pink) and A. neomexicana (lavender).

[RickR]

The colors are really captivating, Mark.

First year from seed (but not by me), I am happy with Agastache aurantiaca.

               

[McDonough]

It's such a nice warm shade of orange.  I've lost my A. aurantiaca but still have a few plants of spontaneous A. aurantiaca x rupestris crosses.  The tip I was given to help overwinter them, do not cut off the stems until spring after leaf-out.  I'm interested in learning how your's overwinters in MI.

[RickR]

I'll take your advice, Mark, and let you know next year - if I remember, that is. 

No one need be shy about reminding me...

[cohan]

A very common Agastache in the big picture, but this year was the first time I saw it in person, on one of my very few bicycle botanising trips this year- about 8-12 miles from home (forget now, I'd have to sit down and calculate... a fairly long and tiring ride, which ended up being a race with the weather, getting home just before a thunderstorm with heavy-though small- hail) on a road I'd never gone far on before (and which was dull, plant-wise, overall, so this was a very nice surprise). I've seen the species on lists often enough, and never thought it was that exciting from photos, but I found it really delightful in person! Smaller than expected- maybe 60 cm tops, and  I found the leaves very pretty-- a deep rich green, both glossy and textured.
Agastache foeniculum  August 06, 2011



In the last photo with one of our numerous Asters, very abundant from mid-late summer through fall; full album here (no captions yet):
https://picasaweb.google.com/111492944361897930115/August062011AgastacheAndHail

[Hoy]

I'll take your advice, Mark, and let you know next year - if I remember, that is. 

No one need be shy about reminding me...

Rick, the problem is I need someone  to remind me reminding others

[Hoy]

Mark, I have couple of Agastaches but I am not familiar with A. foeniculum. Is it wild growing "over there"? Seems to be a nice plant!

[McDonough]

With the exception of the Korean A. rugosa, all Agastache are native to North America.

USDA PLant Profile page for A. foeniculum:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=AGFO

There are a number of hybrids between Korean A. rugosa and North American A. foeniculum, search for any of these:
'Black Adder'
'Blue Fortune'
'Blue Fountain'

Article by David Salman of High Country Gardens on Agastache in Fine Gardening magazine:
http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/hysspos-agastache.aspx

Agastache foeniculum 'Golden Jubilee' - selected form with charteuse foliage:
http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/agastache-foeniculum-golden-jubilee-anise-hyssop.aspx
http://www.finegardening.com/CMS/uploadedimages/Images/Gardening/Plants/Agastache_foeniculum_Golden_Jubilee_ps_lg.jpg

[cohan]

Mark, I have couple of Agastaches but I am not familiar with A. foeniculum. Is it wild growing "over there"? Seems to be a nice plant!

Not Mark but A foeniculum is listed in Flora of Alberta as occurring from BC to Ontario south to BC, Colorado, Nebraska,South Dakota, Illinois;
According to the map, its only been observed at the edge of my area, mostly occurring farther east and north, but as usual, I doubt this agricultural area has been surveyed that extensively!

[cohan]

Agastache foeniculum 'Golden Jubilee' - selected form with charteuse foliage:
http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/agastache-foeniculum-golden-jubilee-anise-hyssop.aspx
http://www.finegardening.com/CMS/uploadedimages/Images/Gardening/Plants/Agastache_foeniculum_Golden_Jubilee_ps_lg.jpg

Not sure if its in the current catalogue, but Kristl (Gardens North) was offereing golden A foeniculum seed..

[RickR]

Agastache foeniculum is usually a controllable weed in gardens here.  I love the licorice scent, though.

I too, "discovered" it in the wild for the first time this past season.
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=779.0
In fact the identity was perplexing to me, since I was only familiar with the garden varieties that were strongly scented with non-glabrous leaves.  There was no aroma, and leaves were glabrous on these Minnesota wild ones.

[cohan]

Agastache foeniculum is usually a controllable weed in gardens here.  I love the licorice scent, though.

I too, "discovered" it in the wild for the first time this past season.
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=779.0
In fact the identity was perplexing to me, since I was only familiar with the garden varieties that were strongly scented with non-glabrous leaves.  There was no aroma, and leaves were glabrous on these Minnesota wild ones.

Sadly, I did not get back there for seed, and a cutting failed.. I'd really like to grow a local form (I should see if Linda who sells seed in Red Deer has collected it...).. I've got a fairly large developable area that I'd like to plant natives and others amongst the grasses etc, and just weed to thin the other stuff rather than really cultivate it-- I could let things like Agastache,Lysimachia etc run free..
I can't remember now if this had any scent to it!

[McDonough]

By the way, the common name of Blue Giant Hyssop is somewhat a misnomer, as it is typically a plant no taller than 3', whereas there are several other species that grow twice that height... ah, common names, gotta love em when they go wrong