Agastache 'Blue Fortune' 

Latin Name Pronunciation: ah-gah' stah-kee

Agastache is a genus of aromatic flowering herbaceous perennial plants in the family Lamiaceae. It contains 22 species, mainly native to North America, one species native to eastern Asia.  This plant prefers full sun but can tolerate light shade.  They grow 2-4 feet high and prefer well-drained soils. The Agastache plant is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 10. Agastache, also called Hummingbird Mint, or Hyssop, are showy, fragrant, long-blooming perennials. As their name suggests, they're highly attractive to hummingbirds; and a favorite of butterflies and bees as well.

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This hardy perennial brings color to garden beds from midsummer to autumn and combine well with late-flowering perennials & grasses.  Agastache flowers rise up off of stiff triangular stems, with 2-3 inches long licorice-scented leaves. The blooms have the appearance of being coated with fuzz because they are comprised of many tiny florets. The entire flower of Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ may be 3 to 5 inches long, powder-blue color and begin to bloom from the top down. This means that the florets at the crown of the flower die out first, leaving tips that look slightly burnt. This just adds more interest to the Agastache plant.

An added bonus, Agastache plants have excellent resistance to browsing deer and rabbits. Being in the mint family, the highly aromatic foliage of Agastache adds a sweet fragrance to the garden. The scented leaves, fresh or dried, are great for flavoring drinks and made into teas. Agastache plants do best if trimmed back in early spring just as new growth is about to appear. They can also be deadheaded and shaped lightly from spring until mid-summer. Suspend any trimming thereafter, as it may force tender, new growth that can be damaged when cool weather appears.

Things to note:

Anise Hyssop (Agastache) is not the same as Hyssop (Hyssopus). Anise Hyssop is Native to North America and a member of the mint family, while Hyssop spp. is a member of the carrot family and native to Europe. They are completely different genus and species!