Other Names:  Anise Hyssop, Licorice Mint, Agastache

Description:

A European hybrid, this agastache has proven to perform reasonably well in our humid climate; 5-inch long powdery blue bloom spikes over a long season are particularly showy and attract many pollinators

Ornamental Features

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop has masses of beautiful spikes of lightly-scented blue flowers with lavender overtones rising above the foliage from mid spring to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive fragrant pointy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop is a dense herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Self-Seeding

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Herb Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 6 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.