{"id":3082,"date":"2025-05-05T19:01:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T02:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrwofficial.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/05\/19-of-the-best-agastache-varieties-to-grow-at-home\/"},"modified":"2025-05-05T19:01:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T02:01:16","slug":"19-of-the-best-agastache-varieties-to-grow-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wrwofficial.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/05\/19-of-the-best-agastache-varieties-to-grow-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"19 of the Best Agastache Varieties to Grow at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In a perfect world, all of the plants in my garden would be easy to care for, fragrant, colorful, attractive to wildlife, and edible.<\/p>\n

I realize that\u2019s a tall order and that most plants will fall short on one or more of those criteria. Not agastache (Agastache<\/em> spp.), though. It fits all my requirements and more.<\/p>\n

On top of all that, the blooms last for months, and the plant returns year after year in Zones 4 to 10.<\/p>\n

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When you\u2019re convinced you need to grow agastache in your garden, the hard part begins: deciding which type to settle on.<\/p>\n

If you need a reminder about how to grow agastache, read our anise hyssop growing guide<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Whether you want a tall plant with sunset-like hues, a short cutie with vibrant purple flowers, or a plant to make tea and use to season dishes, you have many options.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to talk about 19 superb agastache varieties, from modern hybrids to classic native species. Here\u2019s the list:<\/p>\n

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19 of the Best Agastache Varieties<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

1. Anise Hyssop<\/h2>\n

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum<\/em>) is perhaps the most well-known species in the genus.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s a popular herb that is used medicinally and appreciated for its licorice-anise flavor. But the plants are highly ornamental and attract pollinators from far and wide.<\/p>\n

Since it is native to parts of North America, it can also be a beneficial plant to support local native insect populations.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a short-lived perennial that is hardy in Zones 3 to 8 and grows up to four feet tall and three feet wide with stalks of white to blue-purple flowers.<\/p>\n

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Anise Hyssop<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m particularly enamored with anise hyssop when it\u2019s paired with other natives like purple coneflowers<\/a><\/strong>, milkweed<\/a><\/strong>, and coreopsis<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You can find anise hyssop seeds available at Botanical Interests<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

2. Arizona Sun<\/h2>\n

\u2018Arizona Sun\u2019 is a glorious Agastache<\/em> hybrid that features stellar yellow blossoms on a petite little plant that only grows to about 10 inches tall and wide in Zones 6 to 9.<\/p>\n

It starts shining in early summer and the blooms last until late fall.<\/p>\n

In warmer climates, like Zones 8 and up, it might even stay evergreen, adding its gray-green foliage to the winter landscape.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Arizona Sun\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

For a cheerful plant as warming to the soul as a bright Arizona day, purchase 25, 100, or 500 seeds at True Leaf Market<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

3. Blue Boa<\/h2>\n

This gorgeous hybrid has violet-blue blossoms held by burgundy calyxes on tall plants that grow up to 40 inches tall and 24 inches wide.<\/p>\n

It grows happily in Zones 5b to 8, a somewhat more limited range than many others on this list, but if you\u2019re one of the lucky people in the right climate, consider \u2018Blue Boa.\u2019<\/p>\n

Part of what makes it so special are the huge flowers, which can be up to an inch in diameter.<\/p>\n

It was rated as one of the top plants in the Colorado State University Perennial Trials in 2014 and I can see why.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Blue Boa\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Blue Boa\u2019 blooms for months and months, providing food for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.<\/p>\n

You can pick up a live plant at Burpee<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

4. Blue Fortune<\/h2>\n

\u2018Blue Fortune\u2019 produces long stalks of lavender blossoms and leaves that are medium green on top and silvery underneath.<\/p>\n

At three feet tall and two feet wide, it\u2019s big enough to be stately but not so large that it takes over the garden.<\/p>\n

This plant is a hybrid between A. rugosa<\/em> and A. foeniculum<\/em> selected in 2004 by Gert Fortgens of the Arboretum Trompenberg in Rotterdam, Netherlands.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Blue Fortune\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Blue Fortune\u2019 nabbed the 2004 Great Plant Picks award from the Elisabeth Miller Botanical Garden. You can find plants available at Burpee<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

5. Giant Mexican<\/h2>\n

Giant mexican agastache (A. mexicana<\/em>) is not the easiest to grow, nor is it the showiest if you\u2019re in the market for a bold ornamental.<\/p>\n

This species produces highly fragrant, lemon-scented foliage. The large leaves are popularly made into tea or used to flavor foods.<\/p>\n

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The plant quickly grows to about three or four feet tall and one to two feet wide, and is topped with petite purple spikes. It\u2019s hardy in Zones 6 to 10.<\/p>\n

There are a handful of cultivars out there, and many are quite glorious.<\/p>\n

If you have your heart set on having Mexican agastache in the garden but you also really want an ornamental, look for cultivars in the Summerlong\u2122 series, which are more compact and floriferous than the species.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n