Why You Should Plant Hummingbird Mint To Tantalize The Senses

Many great plants can help your yard and garden look more attractive, but some can serve other purposes as well. A plant such as agastache, also known as hummingbird mint or hyssop, will provide an additional benefit — it will attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, and it's one of the flowers that hummingbirds absolutely love. It's the perfect choice if you want to start a pollinator garden.

There are many varieties of this plant, with different varieties producing flowers of white, blue, red, and purple, among others. Agastache's long-lasting blooms can do a great job of brightening up your yard between the summer and the fall seasons. In addition to their vibrant appearance, these plants also tend to have pleasant licorice and mint fragrances. 

Agastache is a versatile plant to add to your yard or garden since there are so many great varieties available, including compact options. A particularly good variety to consider is agastache rose mint (Agastache pallidiflora) — the pink and purple flowers on this plant look picture-perfect, and the plant has a fragrant minty smell. 

To attract hummingbirds to your garden and yard with agastache, you'll need to choose a hot, sunny place for it. While it can grow in partial shade, it prefers full sunlight. Ensure it has fertile, well-draining soil — water-retaining clay soils don't tend to work as well. If you live in a particularly arid region, you may want to add a bit of mulch, however, this won't be necessary in all climates. The plant grows well as a perennial in USDA hardiness zones five through nine.

You can plant agastache pretty much anytime of the year including spring, summer, and fall. Planting it in the fall can be a great choice because the flowers will stay dormant throughout the winter months and then bloom in the late spring. Alternatively, you can grow it inside for between four and six weeks before the date of the final frost and then move it outside once spring arrives. You can also plant the seeds directly in summer.

Despite being a perennial, you'll need to take steps to ensure this plant survives the winter. Avoid deadheading and pruning the plant after the middle of summer. Don't cut the stems in the fall to prepare for winter, as the stems help to provide extra nutrients to the crown and keep it protected during the winter season.