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 Agastache 'Blue Fortune'
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Agastache, is a genus of 9–12 species of perennial herbs in the family Lamiaceae, native to eastern Asia (one species) and North America (the rest).
Most species are very upright, 0.5–3 m tall, with stiff, angular stems clothed in toothed-edged, lance shaped leaves ranging from 1–15 cm long and 0.5–11 cm broad depending on the species. Upright spikes of tubular, two-lipped flowers develop at the stem tips in summer. The flowers are usually white, pink, mauve, or purple, with the bracts that back the flowers being of the same or a slightly contrasting color.
- Species
- Agastache aurantiaca. Orange Hummingbird Mint. Mexico, SW USA (Arizona, New Mexico).
- Agastache breviflora. TransPecos giant hyssop. Northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora), SW USA (Arizona).
- Agastache cana. Texas Hummingbird Mint. SW USA (New Mexico, western Texas).
- Agastache foeniculum. Giant or Anise Hyssop. From arctic Canada to Colorado and Wisconsin.
- Agastache mexicana. Mexican Giant Hyssop. Central Mexico.
- Agastache nepetoides. Eastern North America from southern Ontario and southern Quebec south to Georgia.
- Agastache pallida (syn. A. barberi). Northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora), southwestern USA (Arizona).
- Agastache pallidiflora. Southwestern USA (New Mexico, western Texas).
- Agastache pringlei. Northern Mexico (Chihuahua), southwestern USA (New Mexico).
- Agastache rugosa. Korean Mint. Southeastern Russia (Primoriye), Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam.
- Agastache rupestris. Threadleaf giant hyssop or Licorice Mint. Arizona, New Mexico.
- Agastache scrophulariifolia. Eastern North America from southern Ontario south to Georgia.
- Agastache wrightii. Southwestern USA (Arizona, New Mexico).
- Agastache urticifolia. Western North America from British Columbia south to California and Nevada.
Cultivation
They are easily grown in moist, well-drained soil and prefer a sunny position. Winter hardiness varies; the hardiest is A. foeniculum, hardy to USDA plant hardiness zone 1 in the north of its range; A. nepetoides, A. rugosa, A. scrophulariifolia and A. urticifolia are hardy to zones 3–5 in the northern parts of their ranges. Propagate from seed or cuttings.
Medicinal uses
Agastache rugosa has a history of use in Chinese herbology.
References
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Agastache
- Flora of China: Agastache
- Missouriplants: detailed description and photos of A. nepetoides
- The PLANTS Database: Agastache wrightii
