Agastache Summer Sunset

The Agastache 'Summer Sunset' is part of a series of recent hybrids, selected by an American nursery for their dense and compact habit and their increased floribundity. This agastache offers from summer to autumn, provided it doesn't lack water, upright spikes adorned with long orange buds opening into tubular flowers of a more apricot tone, soon tinged with pink, in a palette of shades worthy of a summer sunset. This easy-to-grow perennial in well-drained but not too dry soil undoubtedly adds a lot of personality to country borders.

The 'Summer Sunset' hybrid Agastache is a plant of the lamiaceae family, related to salvias, catmints, and other thymes. This herbaceous perennial, more perennial in a soil that doesn't retain water in winter, forms a broad upright clump, with highly branched stems,  45 cm (18in) tall and 50 cm (20in) wide. It produces triangular leaves, 5 cm (2in) long, with dentate edges, dark green, which are implanted along the entire length of the angular floral stems. When crushed, they give off  a scent of anise mixed with mint. The flowering period extends from June-July to October, without interruption, in the form of highly coloured upright inflorescences, in thin and dense spikes. Each small  apricot copper to coral pink tubular flower is surrounded by violet-purple bracts and the colour does not fade in the sun. This particularly melliferous and nectariferous flowering attracts a large number of bees and butterflies.

Easy to grow in well-drained soil, tolerating temporary drought, 'Summer Sunset' Agastache is cultivated in sunny borders with a slightly wild appearance, but also in pots on the terrace, in groups of three identical plants or mixed with blue, violet, or red varieties. In hot regions, it should never lack water during flowering. A carefree perennial, it adds height and consistency to borders composed of grasses (stipa, eragrostis, pennisetum), herbaceous salvias, tall daisies, echinaceas, goldenrod, and asters. It also pairs very well with yellow or orange shrubby potentillas, for example, as well as with the perennial Geranium 'Azure Rush'.

The very fragrant flowers and leaves of Agastache are edible and delicious in salads or fish dishes