August’s Practically Perfect Plant!
USDA Zones 4 – 10 depending on variety. Blooms mid-summer through fall.
Part – full sun, Sizes vary by variety – 10” x 10” – 36” x 24”
Requires well-drained soil. Deer resistant.
Agastache – Irresistable to More than Just Hummingbirds!
Agastache, August’s Practically Perfect Plant, was nominated by the hummingbirds that visit (and claim) my garden. I have a lot of hummingbird favorites in my yard, such as Monarda and Orange Carpet Hummingbird Trumpet, but the Agastache (or Hyssop) is hands-down their favorite! It is the plant they battle over! And the Agastache is what made me realize that I should select plants not just for my enjoyment, but to create habitat for the wildlife that I wish to draw to my garden. It’s the plant that started my whole “gardening for wildlife” mindset!
A Perfect Addition for any Sunny Garden
Agastache is a low maintenance, versatile and attractive perennial that doesn’t seem to have any serious pests. It looks fantastic in all types of gardens, from xeric and southwestern, to more lush or cottage style. It can handle a little bit of shade, but does best in full sun. I have found that these plants don’t do well if they are mulched much, so be sure to pull mulch back away from stems and don’t pile it up thick over their roots. Good drainage is critical, as they can handle dry soil better than soil that stays too moist. Once established Agastache can handle hot, sunny spots and are quite drought tolerant.
Agastaches are Great Companions!
Agastache looks really nice with roses, hibiscus and other plants with larger flowers or leaves. One of my favorite companion plants for Agastache is Echinacea. Agastache and Echinacea just look like they were made to be planted together! I don’t think you can really appreciate the full beauty of Agastache when it is planted among other fine foliage plants like Pine-leaf Penstemon or Gaura so try to stick a broader leaf plant between them.
What a Wide Range of Flower and Foliage Colors and Types!
Agastaches bloom in shades of blue, purple, pink, peach, orange, yellow and red, often with varying shades on a single blossom. The flowers develop on stalks held up above the foliage. They start blooming around late July and continue through the fall! The tubular blooms are nectar rich and lead to hummingbirds claiming plants as their own. This can lead to some serious battles above the garden!
The foliage is aromatic, so if you brush past an Agastache while weeding, you’ll notice a nice minty, fruity smell (a bit like Juicy Fruit chewing gum.) Like flower colors, Hyssop foliage varies quite a bit between varieties. Some have bluish green foliage, however, there are some varieties with deeper green and even chartreuse foliage, like Golden Jubilee! And some varieties, such as Sunset Hyssop, have thin blades for leaves, where as other varieties have much fuller, wide leaves. It is a pretty plant even when not blooming, but by late July, it will begin to bloom and flowers will keep developing until the end of the season!
Agastache is graceful, smells wonderful, and is loved by pollinators. But the best reason to plant it in your garden is its ability to attract hummingbirds! This is what makes Agastache the natural choice for August’s Practically Perfect Plant!
Note: I have my son to thank for introducing me to Agastaches when he was only around 3 years old. To learn more about how he got me hooked on Agastache and how it then led to my quest to create a backyard to share with my wildlife neighbors, read my article on Designing Hummingbird Gardens!
Learn about more Practically Perfect Plants!