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Agastache rugosa

This is one of the easiest perennials to grow in temperate climates – very frost hardy and tolerant of pests. The flowers open in succession over a long period of time, attracting a constant stream of welcome garden visitors such as Butterflies, Bees and Hoverflies (and many other beneficial insects).

With its pleasing aromatic foliage, this will quickly become a garden favorite among human visitors also, with a fragrance reminiscent of mint, liquorice and warm spice. The long stems make these reasonably suitable for cut-flowers, and these can be used in mixed bouquets quite successfully. The mature plants will form clumps about 45-60cm wide, and to a height of 40-75cm, depending on light and feeding.

Agastache are a wide-ranging genus, with examples from across the globe. We conducted a fair bit of breeding work with some of the more interesting forms and obtained some extraordinary hybrids, although due to the high number of new Agastache varieties already entering the market we did not introduce these as new varieties. Maybe one day.

Nerdy note: Most garden varieties of Agastache rugosa are at least partial hybrids with closely related mediterranean species Agastache foeniculum, and there may be some confusion about the naming of these different species in cultivation – it is quite likely that Agastache foeniculum is the ‘true’ name for almost all garden examples of this species. True Agastache rugosa is an east-asian species, and slightly frost-tender, whereas the Agastache foeniculum is more frost tolerant and generally more vigorous.

See also the Golden-leaved form, ‘Golden Jubilee’.

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