96. AGASTACHE—A POLLINATOR’S DELIGHT

One of the most attractive plants to pollinators is Agastache, also called hyssop or hummingbird mint. The popular perennial anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is native to fields of eastern North America, and it gets its common name from its aromatic leaves that smell like licorice when crushed. Anise hyssop grows 2 to 4 feet tall, is deer resistant, and produces upright, 3- to 6-inch-long cylindrical lavender flower spikes from summer into fall. It produces large amounts of pollen and nectar, making it a favorite of bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It is drought tolerant and a vigorous grower. It is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 4–9.

Anise hyssop prefers full sun, good air circulation, and lean, dry soil. They do not require much water or fertilizer. The plants get floppy when grown in soil that is too rich. Plant it in the background of a sunny pollinator or native garden. Leave room for air to circulate. Plants self-sow readily. You can plant them with summer blooming grasses such as switchgrass, feather reed grass, milkweed, yarrow, gaillardia, or Russian sage.

Agastache hybrids come in a variety of colors, including shades of red, orange, pink, yellow, and white. Some popular hybrids are a cross between warm climate Agastache species, and so they are suited to USDA hardiness zones 7 and 8. There are many to choose from, including ‘Apricot Sunrise,’ with tubular, orange-apricot flowers that bloom nonstop from summer through early fall. They are typically 18 inches tall.

The soft, lavender-blue, bottlebrush-like flowers of ‘Blue Fortune’ Agastache (Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’) are borne on strong, 36-inch-tall upright stems from midsummer to early fall. This hybrid variety is cold hardy and tolerant of wet spring soils. It also tolerates heat and drought once established. Zones 5–8.