In a perfect world, all of the plants in my garden would be easy to care for, fragrant, colorful, attractive to wildlife, and edible.
I realize that’s a tall order and that most plants will fall short on one or more of those criteria. Not agastache (Agastache spp.), though. It fits all my requirements and more.
On top of all that, the blooms last for months, and the plant returns year after year in Zones 4 to 10.
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When you’re convinced you need to grow agastache in your garden, the hard part begins: deciding which type to settle on.
If you need a reminder about how to grow agastache, read our anise hyssop growing guide.
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.
We’re going to talk about 19 superb agastache varieties, from modern hybrids to classic native species. Here’s the list:
19 of the Best Agastache Varieties
1. Anise Hyssop
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is perhaps the most well-known species in the genus.
It’s 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.
Being native to parts of North America, it can also be a beneficial plant to support local native insect populations.
It’s 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.
Anise Hyssop
I’m particularly enamored with it when it’s paired with other natives like purple coneflowers, milkweed, and coreopsis.
You can find anise hyssop seeds available at Botanical Interests.
2. Arizona Sun
‘Arizona Sun’ is a glorious Agastache 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.
It starts shining in early summer and the blooms last until late fall.
In warmer climates, like Zones 8 and up, it might even stay evergreen, adding its gray-green foliage to the winter landscape.
‘Arizona Sun’
For a cheerful plant as warming to the soul as a bright Arizona day, purchase 25, 100, or 500 seeds at True Leaf Market.
3. Blue Boa
This gorgeous hybrid has violet-blue blossoms held by burgundy calyxes on tall plants that grow up to 40 inches tall and two feet wide.
It grows happily in Zones 5b to 8, a somewhat more limited range than many others on this list, but if you’re one of the lucky people in the right climate, consider ‘Blue Boa.’
Part of what makes it so special are the huge flowers, which can be up to an inch in diameter.
It was rated as one of the top plants in the Colorado State University Perennial Trials in 2014 and I can see why.
‘Blue Boa’
‘Blue Boa’ blooms for months and months, providing food for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
Pick up a live plant at Burpee.
4. Blue Fortune
‘Blue Fortune’ produces long stalks of lavender blossoms and leaves that are medium green on top and silvery underneath.
At three feet tall and two feet wide, it’s big enough to be stately but not so large that it takes over the garden.
This plant is a hybrid between A. rugosa and A. foeniculum selected in 2004 by Gert Fortgens of the Arboretum Trompenberg in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
‘Blue Fortune’
‘Blue Fortune’ nabbed the 2004 Great Plant Picks award from the Elisabeth Miller Botanical Garden. You can find plants available at Burpee.
5. Giant Mexican
Giant mexican agastache (A. mexicana) is not the easiest to grow, nor is it the showiest if you’re in the market for a bold ornamental.
This species produces highly fragrant, lemon-scented foliage. The large leaves are popularly made into tea or used to flavor foods.
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’s hardy in Zones 6 to 10.
There are a handful of cultivars out there, and many are quite glorious.
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™ series, which are more compact and floriferous than the species.