Agastache is very attractive to bees. Plant a row away from the garden to lure cabbage moths away from Brassica crops. Do not plant near radishes. Agastache is a hardy perennial also known as Giant Hyssop, Licorice Mint, or Lavender Hyssop. Continue reading below for more tips on how to grow Agastache from seed.
Latin
Agastache foeniculum (syn. A. anethiodora)
Family: Lamiaceae
Difficulty
Easy
Season & Zone
Exposure: Full sun
Zone: Hardy to Zone 4
Timing
Sow indoors in late winter, before the last frost date. Transplant once night time temperatures are steadily above 10°C (50°F). Otherwise, direct sow in autumn. Optimal soil temperature: 12°C (55°F).
Starting
Just cover the seeds, and keep moist in a sterile seed starting mix. When no risk of frost is left, transplant outdoors to containers or at 30cm (12″) spacing in the garden.
Growing
Provide some balanced organic fertilizer annually in the spring. Grow in well drained, fairly rich soil in full sun. Agastache can tolerate light shade, but will not perform as well. Maintain vigorous plants by dividing in the fall. Plants grown from seed may take two years to bloom.
Read more about using Agastache in Companion Planting.