Its appeal has continued over the years and it’s now grown internationally in Europe and across North America. This rare species from southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, only known to a few botanists at the time, was selected as a Plant Select® winner in 1997, and became instantly popular. My introduction of Agastache rupestris (Licorice Mint Hyssop) through the High Country Gardens catalog in 1996 was a milestone that caught the attention of gardeners, nurseries, and plant breeders across the country. The unique beauty of the flowers, the wonderful sweet herbal scent of the plant’s foliage, and its incredible popularity with the hummingbirds in my garden had convinced me that these plants deserved more attention. But, by the end of the growing season, I was smitten. At that time they were an obscure and infrequently grown genus of perennials. I first became familiar with Agastache in the early 1990’s when I planted Agastache cana (Texas Hummingbird Mint). Learn more about the story of how this amazing plant has made its mark on the world of horticulture. ![]() In summer, these hyperactive little birds give my xeriscapes a frenetic energy not seen or felt at other times of the year. From dawn to dusk, they're busy sipping the Agastache flowers, thriving on the abundance of their nectar. In full bloom, they are magnificent! Aglow in shades of pink, orange, lavender, and blue, these plants are like peacocks, over the top in extravagant colors. The Hummingbirds Mints are the superstars of my gardens. He said, "They have everything I love in a perennial: aromatic flowers and foliage, stunning spikes of tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, and they bloom in summer and fall, extending the seasons of color in my xeriscapes, and with the exception of one species (Agastache rugosum), they are North American native plants." Read on to learn more about the many beautiful Agastache cultivars that David introduced to the horticulture trade. Growing plants of the genus Agastache (pronounced A gas' ta kee or A gas tack' e), commonly known as hummingbird mint or hyssop, was an "obsession" of David Salman's for over 25 years.
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