The Genus Agastache
Family: Lamiaceae
There are about 22 species of Agastache mainly native to North America, one species native to eastern Asia. The common names of the species are a variety of fairly ambiguous and confusing "hyssops" and "mints"; as a whole the genus is known as giant hyssops or hummingbird mints.
The flowers are very nectar-rich and support many butterflies and other pollinating insects. Hummingbirds are also fond of the flowers and visit this plant frequently. This genus hosts the larvae of the Sage Plume Moth (Anstenoptilia marmarodactyla).
Leaf tips can be eaten and made into teas. Agastache rugosa has a history of use in Chinese herbology.
The name Agastache cana comes from the Greek words agan meaning "very much" and stachys meaning "ear of wheat". The name refers to the plant's abundant flower spikes.
Trans Pecos Giant Hyssop
Agastache breviflora
Herbaceous perennial growing almost 3’ high with flowers though often much shorter, about as wide. Rose purple to lavender flower appear June and continue into fall.
Improved soil in the desert. Part sun is best, moderate to regular water, hardy to -20°F. Cut back (to ground) when needed.
Can be made into tea.
The species, breviflora, means short-flowered.
Found in dry or wet soils in riparian areas, in pine forests and mixed conifer forests from 5,500-8,500 ft. in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and in Mexico in Sonora and Chihuahua.
Photo by BJ Stacey, iNaturalist
Agastache breviflora on SEINET
Mosquito Plant
Agastache cana
Herbaceous perennial that can grow up to 3’ in the warm season, spreading about 2’ wide. Raspberry pink to purple flowers in summer into fall.
Improved soil in the desert. Part sun is best, moderate to regular water, hardy to -20°F. Cut back (to ground) when needed.
Dried petals of the flower and leaves can be used in tea. A. cana is known for being a natural mosquito repellent, but this property has not been scientifically verified. Gardeners and herbalists speculate that its highly scented oils may work as repellant in the same way as citronella-geranium. To be effective, this oil would need to be isolated, and rubbed on surfaces such as skin and clothing.
The specific epithet cana comes from Latin and means "gray-haired" or "hoary" in reference to the plant's gray-green leaves.
Native to New Mexico and western Texas, where it grows in mountainous areas at altitudes of 6,000 feet.
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Herbaceous perennial growing about 2’ high (or higher in prime conditions) spreading about 3’. Purplish blue flowers summer into fall.
Improved soil in the desert. Full to part sun, moderate to regular water, Hardy to -20°F. Cut back (to ground) when needed.
Anise hyssop was used medicinally by Native Americans for cough, fevers, wounds, and diarrhea. The soft, anise-scented leaves are used as a seasoning, as a tea, in potpourri, and can be crumbled in salad.
The species, foeniculum, is the diminutive form of a Latin word meaning “hay” in reference to the smell.
This plant is native to Dry upland woods and prairies in much of north-central and northern North America, notably the Great Plains and other prairies, and can be found in areas of Canada and as south as Colorado.
Chihuahuan Giant Hyssop
Agastache micrantha
Herbaceous perennial reaching about 2’ tall with blooms, slightly wider than tall. Tiny white to lavender flowers appear August into fall.
Full sun to shady locations (blooms better in sun but will need more water). Improved soil best.
Can be made into tea.
The species name, micrantha, means small flowered. Told apart from other Agastache by its continuous spike, its minute flowers, and its leaves that are much longer than wide.
Found on granitic outcrops, along washes in oak-grassland and pinon juniper zones from 5,000-7,500 ft in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and adjacent Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila).
Photo by Alex Abair, iNaturalist
Agastache micrantha on SEINET
Pale Giant Hyssop
Agastache pallida
Herbaceous perennial growing up to about 3’ tall, 2’ wide. Pink flowers summer until frost—there is a lot of variability in the darkness of the flower, some being (as the name suggests) pallid, others being very bright. There are even some almost red cultivars.
Full to part sun, moderate water, improved soil is best, hardy to -20°F. Cut back (to ground) when needed.
Foliage is pleasantly fragrant and can probably be made into tea.
Pine-oak woodlands and canyon bottoms in the shade of oaks in Arizona and Northern Mexico.
Photo by Oscar González, iNaturalist
Agastache pallida on SEINET
New Mexico Giant Hyssop
Agastache pallidiflora
Herbaceous perennial growing about 2’ high (or higher in prime conditions) spreading about 3’. White to pink to lavender or purple flowers occur summer into fall.
Improved soil in the desert. Full to part sun, moderate water, Hardy to -20°F. Cut back (to ground) when needed.
This species was used as an infusion to treat fevers and coughs, the root was pulverized and used to treat cankers, and the whole plant was used as a fumigant to treat deer sickness. The plant was an important food source, and its leaves were used during cooking as a seasoning. The Ramah also use it a fumigant for "deer infection", as a febrifuge, and to protect from witches.
The species, pallidiflora, means with pale-colored flowers.
Found in moist, rich soils from 7,000-10,000 ft. in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Northern Mexico.
Photo by Sue Carnahan, SEINET
Agastache pallidiflora on iNaturalist
Threadleaf Giant Hyssop
Agastache rupestris
Herbaceous perennial growing about 4’ high (or higher in prime conditions) spreading about 2’. Blooms in summer through fall with pink, lavender or orange flowers. Some varieties have silver foliage.
Improved soil in the desert. Full to part sun, moderate water, Hardy to -20°F. Cut back (to ground) when needed.
This plant is made into tea.
The species, rupestris, means growing among rocks.
Found on granitic substrates, in open mountain forests and canyons with ponderosa pine and oaks, from 1,500-7,500 ft. in Arizona, New Mexico, and Chihuahua, Mexico.Many varieties and selections with various colors.
Photo by Jason K. on iNaturalist
Agastache rupestris on SEINET
Korean Mint
Agastache rugosa
Herbaceous perennial growing up to 3’ tall with blooms, spreading about as wide. Purple flowers appear July into fall. Plants go dormant in winter and re-emerge from roots in spring.
Plant in full to part sun, or even shade. Provide regular water. Plants are hardy into the low 20s °F.
This plant has an extensive medicinal and culinary history. The plant's Korean name is baechohyang (배초향), but it is more commonly known as banga (방아) in southern parts of Korea, where the herb is extensively cultivated and consumed. In southern Korean cuisine, the herb is a popular last minute addition to various dishes, such as chueo-tang (pond loach stew), and maeun-tang (spicy fish stew). It is also sometimes used as the main ingredient in buchimgae (Korean pancakes).
The species name, rugosa, means wrinkled referring to the foliage.
This is the one species that is not native to the Americas. Native to moist grasslands and banks in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Russian Primorye, Taiwan, India, and Vietnam).
Sonoran Giant Hyssop
Agastache wrightii
Herbaceous perennial reaching up to 3’ tall when blooming with blue flowers. Cut back when plants are finished blooming and seeding (they reseed rather nicely).
Full sun to shady locations (blooms better in sun but will need more water). Improved soil best.
This plant can be made into tea.
The species, wrightii, is named after British botanist William Franklin Wight (1874-1954) who specialized in the flora of India.
Found on igneous substrates in canyons, open pine forests, grasslands, and oak woodlands, from 3,500-6,500 ft. in the US states of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as the Sierra Madre Occidental along the boundary between the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora.
Photo by Steve Ganley, iNaturalist
Agastache wrightii on SEINET