How to Care for an Agastache

A member of the mint family, agastache has several common names including wild hyssop, licorice mint and hummingbird mint. It is an annual plant in cooler regions, but some cultivars can be perennials. American Indians used agastache as a sweetener and to make herbal tea. The plant grows best in sunny conditions in well-drained soil, and blooms during the summer with small blue to purple tubular flowers supported on spikes. It grows to a height of between 2 to 4 feet. Agastache is a good choice for gardeners who want to create a wildlife habitat since its nectar attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.

Slow-release fertilizer
Pruners
Containers
Broken crocks

Instructions

- 1
  Water your agastache as soon as the soil around it is dry to the touch. Apply enough water so that the soil is moist, but not waterlogged. Water in the morning or evening, but not when the sun is high.
- 2
  Apply a slow-release fertilizer when planting new plants or every spring for perennial types. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application.
- 3
  Prune back perennial cultivars at the end of the growing season with sharp pruners. Cut them back to about 6 inches to encourage growth in the following season.
- 4
  Grow agastache in containers filled with free-draining potting soil. In spring, plant the young agastaches in a container at least twice the volume of the existing rootball, keeping the crown of flowers above the soil to allow for mulch. Add broken crocks to the bottom of the container to help drainage. You can also plant it in sunny areas with well-drained soil in the ground.

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