Agastache aurantiaca Apricot Sprite

The Agastache aurantiaca Apricot Sprite, also known as Agastache doré, is a recent hybrid, still little known here. This bushy and woody perennial of short life displays in summer aerial spikes adorned with orange tubular flowers above a silver-green foliage, very aromatic, evoking the pungent scent of peppermint. It blooms tirelessly until October. Its aerial and honey-bearing flowering appears from the first year of cultivation. It is an excellent plant in borders, edges and pots. To be grown in well-drained soil, not too dry to fresh and in the sun.

The Agastache aurantiaca is a plant of the lamiaceae family native to Central America. In nature as well as in the garden, it hybridizes very easily with other agastache species and self-seeds abundantly. Growing up to 50cm (19.7 in), more or less depending on the soil and climate, it presents itself as a bushy and woody clump with an upright habit. Its growth is fast, it reaches maturity in a few months. Its branched stems are adorned with silver-green leaves on the top and whitish on the underside, thin and elongated, with coarsely toothed edges, they are pubescent, and give off a scent blending mint and anise. This plant is mainly cultivated for the transparent and airy beauty of its floral spikes that appear during the summer, from July to October. The small bilabiate tubular flowers, resembling those of sage or fuchsia, are grouped in terminal spikes, brightly colored in apricot, orange, and salmon shades.

The 'Apricot Sprite' agastache is an easy-to-grow, ornamental and very robust plant that adapts to any well-drained soil, not too dry in summer and not excessively chalky. It can withstand light frost, around -7°C. It will find its place in natural or rustic-looking borders, for example, associated with blue asters or in the vegetable garden where it will accompany thyme, summer savory, chervil or basil. It also performs well in pots. The leaves can be used in cooking as a condiment, or in herbal teas after drying.