Agastache, also called Hummingbird Mint and Hyssop, are fragrant and long-blooming perennials. These are must-have plants for waterwise landscapes that are filled with flowers and plenty of pollinators.
What is dwarf hummingbird mint?
Dwarf Hummingbird Mint is an herbaceous perennial cultivar with a compact habit, and flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. It grows to 1.5 feet tall and 2 feet when in bloom. and provides an airiness to the front of the border.
Is Agastache related to mint?
Giant Hyssop is an herbaceous perennial in the mint family of which most are native to North America and many from the southwest. They are showy, fragrant, long-blooming perennials with spikes of flowers that bloom most of the summer.
How do you use Agastache?
Using Agastache in herbal remedies
Use strongly fragrant anise hyssop or Korean mint in infused honey by clipping the partially opened flowers and immersing them in liquid honey. Cover the jar with a tight lid and rotate the jar daily for 3 weeks. Strain and reserve the honey. The flower stems will retain some honey.
How do you propagate hummingbird mint?
PropagationStart seeds indoors in early spring at 55° to 64°F; divide in spring; take cuttings in late summer. ProblemsUsually easy to grow, but mildew and rust can be problems during a dry summer.
Is hummingbird mint invasive?
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates light shade but best in full sun. Also tolerates drought, poor soils, summer heat and humidity. Plants in this genus are non-invasive in the garden.
Does hummingbird mint come back every year?
In warm climates, it comes back consistently each year. In cold climates is self-sows readily making it an annual addition to your garden. The flowers are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, while the anise-flavored leaves can be used in teas and cooking.
Should I cut back hummingbird mint?
It is essential that you not cut back hummingbird mints in the fall. Leave the old stems from last summer’s growing season on the plants. Nutrients from the stems help to feed the crown and fortify it against winter cold. Wait until mid-spring in your area (a month or so before last frost) to cut them back.
Can you eat hummingbird mint?
The flavor of the leaves and flowers ranges from the licorice of anise hyssop (A. foeniculum) to the more minty Korean hummingbird mint (A. rugosa). All species are useful in tea, and the young leaves can be eaten in salads.
Should you deadhead hummingbird mint?
In late winter or early spring, cut the remaining stems back to the ground before plants break dormancy. Pinch new growth to promote more branching and a bushier habit. Deadhead spent flowers to promote rebloom.
Does Agastache spread?
Once established, agastache will spread fairly vigorously in the garden. It can be divided yearly or as needed. Agastache seeds need cold stratification to grow, so the best method is to direct sow them in the garden in the fall, so they are exposed to the winter cold temperatures.
What animal eats Agastache?
Monarch butterflies are especially attracted to the flowers. The caterpillars of several species of moths feed on various parts of this and other goldenrods. Many mammalian herbivores eat this plant, including the White-Tailed Deer, Cottontail Rabbit, Muskrats, and livestock.
Is Agastache a medicinal plant?
Anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, is a widely used medicinal herb with known antioxidant properties.
Does Hummingbird Mint repel mosquitoes?
Hummingbird Mint
The entire plant smells of licorice. Some gardeners rub leaves on skin to keep mosquitoes at bay. Use this perennial (Zones 5-9) in drifts in planting beds, or grow it as a thriller plant in a container garden.
Is Hummingbird Mint toxic to dogs?
Mint species, including wild mint, spearmint and peppermint, are nontoxic to dogs, according to the Continental Kennel Club. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warns that the only species of mint, in the genus Mentha, that is toxic to dogs is English pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium).
Is Hummingbird Mint hard to grow?
Native to dry, hot, and sunny climates, these varieties are ideal for low-water landscapes. They need well-drained soil in the garden, and they are sensitive to cold, wet winter soils. That makes these much more challenging to grow in USDA zone 5& 6 and regions with rain and snow amounts over 25” per year.
Is Hummingbird Mint toxic?
All parts of this plant ARE poisonous. The butterfly larvae, or caterpillars, are unaffected by the cardiac glycosides produced by the plant, but the butterfly stores the substance, making them distasteful and even dangerous to predators.
Does hummingbird mint bloom all summer?
Plus the blooms are gorgeous and last all summer long. And they love hot sun, and are drought tolerant once established. Hummingbird mint checks a lot of boxes, right?!
Does hummingbird mint reseed?
Flower Form: Flower spikes with long tubular blooms. Foliage Type: Lance-shaped to ovate, grayish green leaves with a light mint scent. Pruning: Can self seed, so if you do not want it to spread too much, remove spent flower stems.
Can Hummingbird Mint survive winter?
Agastache plants (Agastache spp.), also called hyssops or hummingbird mints, have strongly scented foliage and attractive flowers. They’re generally tough, easy-to-grow plants that withstand winter cold well.
Should you cut back Agastache?
Herbaceous plants do best if trimmed back in early spring just as new growth is about to appear. Anise hyssop 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.