Agastache Fragrant Mixed Seeds

Agastache aurantiaca Fragrant Mixed, also known as the golden hyssop, has dense spikes of tubular flowers that emerge from small bushes with aromatic foliage. Delicate, the flowers come in various shades, combining pale blue, mauve, purple, orange, and yellow in a beautiful harmony. This short-lived perennial is easy to grow, and its fast growth brings flowering in the first year of cultivation. This selection is ideal for pots or planted in borders among larger plants.

Agastache aurantiaca is a plant from the mint family native to Central America. In nature and in the garden, it easily hybridises with other Agastache species and self-seeds abundantly. Growing up to 50cm (20in), more or less depending on the soil and climate, it forms a bushy and woody clump with an upright habit. Its growth is fast, reaching maturity in a few months. Its branched stems are adorned with silver-green leaves on the upper side and whitish on the underside, with coarsely toothed edges. They are pubescent and emit a fragrance blending mint and anise. This plant is mainly cultivated for the transparent and airy beauty of its floral spikes that appear from July to October. The small bilabiate tubular flowers, resembling those of salvias or fuchsias, are grouped in terminal spikes, with various colours in pale blue, mauve, pale yellow, orange, and salmon shades.

The 'Fragrant Mixed' blend produces easy-to-grow, ornamental, and very robust plants that adapt to any well-drained soil, not too arid in summer and not excessively chalky. They can withstand light frosts, around -7°C (19.4°F). They will suit natural or rustic flower beds, for example, paired with blue asters or in the vegetable garden where they will accompany thyme, summer savory, chervil, or basil. They also perform very well in pots, requiring little maintenance for a charming result. The leaves can be used in cooking as a condiment or in herbal teas after drying.