The hummingbirds, bees and butterflies do love agastache! It's a 'must have' in my garden.

I have 4 different ones...'Blue Fortune', 'Heather Queen', a yellow/orange one and several 'Acapulco Salmon and Pink'.

Last year in our long drought, my 'Heather Queen' and 'Blue Fortune' were newly planted. I only lost one BF, but I lost 5 of the 'HQ'. The yellow/orange one was just planted this spring (the name tag is outside in the garden, so I don't have the name handy).

The Acapulco has been planted since Spring 2006 and it is my favorite at this point. I've already divided up the original 3 plants into several kids. It started blooming a few weeks ago and (if memory is right), it will look good for many months.

The 'Blue Fortune' color fades a bit, but it also blooms for months without deadheading. Also, last year's crop is varied in size. The ones with the most full sun are easily 3 feet high and 2 feet wide (2nd year). The ones in some partial shade are a lot less high and wide.

The Acapulco smells so good to me, too!

Acapulco Salmon and Pink (bronze fennel in front). It goes great with purple coneflowers and tall verbena.

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The one drought survivor 'Heather Queen' in front of hypericum:

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'Blue Fortune' last year in first season in a drought. I don't have photos of this year, but they're looking great.

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Cameron

Goldfinch go crazy for the seed if allowed to ripen on the spent flowers. It's quite a sight in the gardens.

Thanks! Looks like I have Blue Fortune too. I think I'll pick up another one too!

I grow quite a few agastaches. My very first was Honey Bee Blue, which as rhizo stated, the goldfinches went nuts over (as they do with all the fluffy ones). Surprisingly the parent plant was short lived, although it did reseed only a little, another surprise.

Someone had sent me Golden Jubilee (I believe). It's an alright plant, nothing spectacular, but a goldfinch magnet as well. It's reseeded quite a bit, but I just dig up the clumps I don't want.

A. scrophulariifolia:
2 to 5' wasn't even close; it was more like 8', at least, and, it reseeded like mad. One rainstorm and it was brutally sloppy. That one simply had to go.

A. nepetoides, Yellow Giant Hyssop:
Blooms were lackluster, could've been in a spot with not enough sun, but it was another that simply had to go. A few plants popped up in my neighbors yard, that I just noticed...

Blue Fortune:
Remarkably contained; pretty much looks the same year after year. Mine hasn't spread. Doesn't produce seed, from what I've read & experienced.

Tubular agastaches:
A. cana:
I've tried to grow a few times; gorgeous, but rarely returns. Hummingbirds love it.

A. mexicana "Acapulco Salmon & Pink":
Oh my God; one of my favorites. Not a reliable returner for me; I purchased 8 one year. Home Depot had them tagged as perennials, which they are not. One did return though, but after that, it went bye bye. I planted a few in a large container, which I bring into the garage over winter. It's now on it's third year. I love the smell, especially when brushing up against it. Not a big seed producer. I went thru those 8 plants a few years ago looking to harvest seed; I only found 20. My hands did smell great though after that, LOL.

I have a few more of the tubular ones, but I'll check my garden for their status. I think I may have lost a few, looking back on my wintersowing spreadsheets.

The fully agastaches are definitely more hardy than the tubular ones, in my experiences.

Ha, "fully" agastaches --> I meant fluffy...
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Those apricot Agastache are beautiful, and great pictures of the Goldfinches!

I want more Agastache, I just have Blue Fortune, and ditto what Traceynj said, well-behaved in the garden, mine has never reseeded. Very beautiful flowers and the Bumblebees really love it.

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Oh terrene, you have a gorgeous patch of BF. That picture should be in a catalog! I think my favorite thing about those types of agastaches are how much bee activity they get.

I have Honey Bee Blue and I like it. I tried it from seed because the previous year I grew a. foeniculum from seed, and I had it coming out of my ears the next year or so. HBB was not supposed to be such a prolific reseeder, and it doesn't seem to be, thank goodness.

I think I will have to try Blue Fortune. Yours is beautiful, Terrene! I did try Apricot Sprite from seed, and although it germinated and grew, it was never very robust and did not come back the next year. I grew some again this year and may try the garage thing over the winter.

Last year I grew a. anisata from seed... and to be honest I have no recollection of it at all, lol. It seems to me it must have bloomed...maybe not? I'm sure I have it in a pot somewhere outside. I'll have to check.

Trcaey, I grew a. scrophulariifolia this year. I guess I will have to keep an eye on this one! It is quite tall already. I don't mind the height but I don't want the reseeding.

:)
Dee

I also LOVE
Agastache cana
and
Agastache Alcapulco Salmon & Pink.

They do not reliably return for me... they need excellent winter drainage, and probably a climate more mild than mine. Some years they come back, some not. But they're still worth growing.

If you buy from Bluestone, they have Agastache cana, and it will form a nice sized plant all in one season, for a comparatively inexpensive price.

Let's clarify a couple things about agastaches. A. foeniculum 'Blue Fortune' or any of the other lue cultivars is perfectly hardy through zone 5 in the east. No special treatment needed, and it will return for many years. A. cana, rupestris, auriantica etc. and hybrids are western plants and not fully hardy in wet eastern winters. To increase chances of return don't cut them back in the fall (cut stems carry water into the crown), plant them in very well draining soil, plant them high (on a little mound). This treatment also increases the chances of Gaura's returning as well.

All great plants.

I have blue fortune, and frankly, am not impressed. The color always looks a bit dingy to me. It also is a MAJOR stinkbug attractor, and it is not all that attractive with a thousand little stink bugs covering its stalks.

But it is reliably hardy in my zone 5, self seeds just a little bit, so I get about 4 or 5 new plants each year (that I give away).

I loved A 'Cana' and 'Tuti Fruti', and 'Alcapulco'. I agree that 'Blue Fortune' is dingy looking. However I have been unable to over winter any of them. A lot of clay in my soil, so drainage isn't good. The one that has returned for 4 years now is the one with the bright light green foliage. The name escapes me right now, but the bloom on it is a dingy blue also. The foliage color allows it to stay in my garden.

I checked the label on my yellow/orange one that is new. It is 'Coronado' and it's really looking great right now. I've got it among some orange Tithonia (annuals) for this year. I hope it will be as full as my Acapulco 'Salmon and Pink'. The 'Coronado' is supposed to be shorter. I was hoping that it would look more yellow than orange, but it's on the pale orange side. I think it would look great with deep blues and violet colors.

Cameron

Oooh, that sounds pretty Cameron. Could you post a pic? I have a "thing" lately for orange in the garden. Maybe because I went overboard one year with the blues & violets they pair so well with.

Anyone know if agastache is deer resistant? Now that I've seen all these great pics, I want some!

All Agastaches are extremely deer resistant. Any plant with those pungent leaves--Calaminthas, Geranium maccrorhizum, Nepetas, etc.--are very deer resistant.

As others have mentioned, good drainage seems to be key for agastache. I planted two last year and just lost the one planted in the area with the heavier clay soil.

They do seem to be bee magnets, and I'm looking forward to visits from my goldfinch friends later in the summer!

Agastache is not only deer proof, it's rabbit proof where I live. My butterfly garden smells minty and sweet right now from all the agastache.

Hummingbirds go nuts for the 'Salmon and Pink'. Also, mine have been "almost" evergreen here in my garden. Meaning that the base foliage is a green mat all winter. I do not cut mine back at all in the fall. I leave it until March.

I'll try to get a photo of the 'Coronado'. It's very small right now as these were just little 2" pot seedlings back in May.

Here's a photo of it from a retail link.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: Coronado pic and info

Gottagarden, I also noted the color problem with 'Blue Fortune' and ditched it for that reason. It reminded me of the color of dirty bath water. I always wondered if I had gotten hold of a seed grown plant or if the heat here in NC contributed to the problem.

This is my second year with Tutti Frutti...it came back. For me the pluses...drought tolerant, deer proof, long bloom season, no diseases and no bugs (the stink bugs are too busy with the poppy seed heads). It's more of a blender, not a real knock your socks off plant. The color is a soft hot pink. I don't have it placed very well in my garden and am thinking of moving some pink coneflowers and some drum stick allium near it...they bloom at the same time here in South Carolina and also seem to like the same cultural conditions. I'd like to try some more of the agastaches because of the drought/deer thing, and it appears to require minimal babying (I have enough prima donna plants to fuss over...sigh)...Barb

The first thing that comes to mind is that they like to move around. I planted several 'Honeybee Blue' Agastaches two years ago. Are they were I planted them this year??? Oh no!! But they are in my herbal garden, my peony garden, and just about any other place other than where I want them to be. Arg!

Heather

I agree that 'Blue Fortune' has a faded look here in NC. I planted an entire flat last year, so I'm stuck with it for awhile. I am planting brighter colors with it this year since I've seen the pale colors. The Monarchs love it, too.

Cameron

This is my favorite plant in the garden! I purchased two 'apricot sprite' varities last year from the greenhouse. They were in the perennial section of the local greenhouse, but not for zone 5, which the tag failed to mention. So they didn't over winter.

This year I purchased two more and went with 'alcapulco' instead. I plan on digging them up and bringing them inside for the winter. Even if they don't make it, I'll continue to get this plant. Maybe I'll try them from seed next year.

This photo gives a good example of 'Blue Fortune' pale color compared to the deep blue of a 'Black and Blue' salvia.

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I was expecting a brighter colour too. I was impressed with the fact I started it from seed and had blooms the same year - quite prolific blooms too. A lot of people commented on how pretty they were. I will keep them. I am a little nervous for this year as I left them intact in the fall so I can imagine how many babies will come up this year. Sigh. I am really ready for a melt but am not even close here.

I know there have many excellent posts on this topic already, but here is another suggestion. I found that when my local grocery store put its annuals on sale in late spring/early summer, I could buy "annual"? agastaches such as the pink-yellow-orange ones, plant them in my perennial border and have them overwinter 2-4 years at least. What a pleasant surprise and a great bargain to boot.

I love love the smell of Agastache 'Blue Fortune' & also rupestris. I can't resist running my hand on it to release the fragrance.

I love my agastaches and have started all of them from seed - they are very easy to germinate and if I loose them over the winter I can always start more - they bloom first year from seed for me. The finches and humingbirds just love them which is the main reason I grow them. Blue Fortune is a washed out color but is a finch favorite so it will continue to have a place in my garden. Just today I started Agastache 'Sprite' again. I had really nice plants last summer but started more just in case it didn't overwinter. If it did then I have plants for our spring plant swap so it is a win-win for me ......

Lynne

Tutti Frutti has overwintered here. And reached 6' high producing blooms from June to frost. It is very attractive to hummingbirds. And bees and bee predators.

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From what I gather the blue ones are hybridized from species native to (relatively) wet climates more or less resembling the climate of the Northeast, while the red/pink/purple/salmon/apricot ones are hybridized from species native to the West and from Mexico where the climates are arid. Those don't like wet and especially do not tolerate wet winters. They are dependably perennial if your climate is dry (like Colorado), but not if it's wet.