Agastache rugosa Seeds | Heather Queen Agastache
LATIN NAME: Agastache rugosa
COMMON NAME: Heather Queen Agastache, Korean Mint, Purple Giant Hyssop
Plant Profile
Heather Queen Agastache (Agastache rugosa) is an upright, bushy, herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to warm regions of east Asia, while it has been cultivated in gardens for a very long time. Its flowers draw a steady traffic of bees and other beneficial insects. Gardeners value it precisely for this blend of qualities.
Science & Biotechnology
As part of the mint family, Agastache rugosa contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. Agastache has a real and distinguished place in research. Breeders and collectors still work with it, so well-kept seed remains available.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Heather Queen Agastache for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Agastache is a tall, upright perennial of sunny herb border and cottage garden, bearing spikes of purple, tubular flowers through late summer. To raise agastache, sow seeds on surface of pots of moist, open compost in a bright, warm place, keep them gently watered, and grow little plants on in the sun. A plant that has settled in will get along with only routine care.
Giant hyssop has a gentle folk-medicine record in both North America and East Asia: the aromatic, anise-scented leaves are brewed into teas for digestion and summer colds. Its essential oil, rich in estragole and related phenylpropanoids, has been studied for antimicrobial activity.
Growing from Seed
Raising Heather Queen Agastache from seed is straightforward. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Heather Queen Agastache, Korean Mint, Purple Giant Hyssop earns its space through character rather than fuss. Start with fresh seed, keep it evenly moist, and the plant does the rest itself.
Related Reading
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