This is a North American native species that is often confused with the East Asian species Korean Mint (Agastache rugosa) or Anise Hyssop (Agastache 'Blue Fortune'), which looks like a cultivar of it or a hybrid with it as a parent, and I have seen native plant nurseries use pictures of what looks like the East Asian species and sell it under the name of the North American native species. Many of the photos on this profile look like the East Asian species to me.
They look quite similar and have a similar anise aroma, but the North American native has glossier leaves that tend to be darker green with teeth that are not as rounded. If you look at the underside of the leaf closely, the North American species is said to have very dense small hairs on the underside, whereas the East Asian species has more scattered larger hairs, densest around veins. (This doesn't seem to hold true for my seedling plants, which I thought were the North American native, so perhaps my hand lens isn't good enough, or it is only true of mature leaves or it is not true of all genetic variants or that my plant is a hybrid between these two species.) The East Asian species often has an indented leaf base (a more heart-shaped leaf) and the leaves tend to be a bit wider in proportion to the length.
These differences are reported on a PDF produced by Terry Serres for Big River Big Woods, the chapter of Wild Ones in the Twin Cities. It may be that some of these differences are not completely accurate or that there are better ways of distinguishing the species, or that there are hybrids between Agastache species that also need to be distinguished from Agastache foeniculum and Agastache rugosa. I tend to go on the rule of thumb that the East Asian species tends to have denser flower clusters without gaps, and wider leaves directly under the flower clusters, but I am not sure if that holds true either, looking at photos of Agastache rugosa on this site. I think more research on the differences is warranted and hopefully more native plant nurseries will get clued in to this problem and make sure they are selling the genuine North American species.
From the specialists in hummingbird mints (Agastache) comes a new award-winning variety that features foot-long spikes of rose-pink flowers, a raspberry red calyx, and sweetly scented foliage. 'Ava' has won the 2005 Green Thumb award from the Mailorder Gardening Association.
The flowering starts in midsummer and, unlike other agastaches, the calyxes keep their color right until frost. After the second growing season, this perennial can reach 4 to 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. 'Ava' is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10, grows best in full sun on well-drained, compost-amended soil, and is rabbit and deer resistant. Fertilize in midsummer and leave the flower stems on the plants for winter color. Cut it back in spring.
Plants that combine beauty with edibility are in vogue, and a new selection in the mint family fits this bill. Agastache 'Blue Fortune' has anise-scented leaves (hence its common name of anise hyssop) and purplish blue flower spikes that are wildly attractive to butterflies. This cross between A. foeniculum and A. rugosa was developed in Holland and features the best of both species--good plant vigor, better flowering habit than anise hyssop, and hardiness to zone 4. It has an upright growth habit (to 3 feet tall in warm climates) but spreads only 1 to 2 feet wide. Dense, colorful flower spikes appear as early as May and June in zones 7 through 9, a couple of months later in zones 4 through 6. Its leaves make a licorice-tasting tea.
'Blue Fortune' grows best in full sun but tolerates part shade as well as a wide range of soil types and soil moisture. Use it as an accent plant or in masses.
It features smoky gray, finely cut leaves on a 20-inch-tall plant. 'Apache Sunset' has salmon-orange flowers that emerge in midsummer and last until frost.
Like other Agastaches, it has aromatic foliage, too. The leaves have been described as smelling like licorice, mint, or even root beer when crushed. Whatever the fragrance, 'Apache Sunset' is a brightly colored, easy-to-grow, long-blooming perennial for your border that butterflies and hummingbirds will love as well.
'Tutti Frutti' is an interspecific hybrid created by Rich Dufresne. It was released around 1987.
Here are some quotes from the breeder, Rich Dufresne, regarding this cultivar:
"`Tutti Frutti' Mexican Anise Hyssop is Agastache barberi x mexicana `Toronjil Morado'. A. barberi is an old name for Agastache pallida var. pallida. I created this and the reverse cross, Pink Lemonade, quite a long time ago, in the late 80s. I was happy to have A. mexicana Toronjil Morado, because it is the most subtropical form of the genus and is best adapted to the southeastern US. A. barberi is from the mountains of Arizona and Sonora, and a similarly showy plant."
"This is my description in my placard book, circa 1997:
`Tutti Frutti' Mexican Anise Hyssop
Agastache barberi x mexicana `Toronjil Morado' (Lamiaceae)
Height: To 5' in full sun; to 6' in half sun.
Width: To 3' in sun; this plant may need staking.
Flower Color/Bloom Period: Many 18" spikes of dense, compact cymes bearing 1½" pink tubular flowers starting in mid summer and increasing to frost.
Soil Conditions: Good garden soil or sandy loam with drainage. Favors low humidity.
Fertilization: Some lime and compost, with two applications of Osmocote.
Exposure: Full sun is best; if grown in part shade, plant will need staking.
Hardiness: Hardy in zone 6. More humidity resistant because of mexicana parent.
Herbal/Medicinal Uses: This plant has a weak fruity scent with a hint of citrus. It is being used as a source of edible flowers.
Other Uses: The plant is showy, with more bloom as the summer fades into fall. A hummingbird plant and a striking ornamental!
Provenance: Both species are Mexican. This was a hand-crossed hybrid created by R. Dufresne.
A. barberi is correctly referred to as A. pallida v. pallida"
I got seeds in Jan. 2017 seed swap here from MrsBinWY. Planted in Feb. 2018 here in south Louisiana zone 9 & enjoyed them all Summer. I collected a lot of seeds but many fell. About May 15th I saw volunteers coming up all in that area. It's June 13, 2018 and they are now 6 inch plants. I'm very happy for these free beauties.
Agastache Kudos™ Red is the newest Agastache in the Kudos series. Like the others in the Kudos series, it was bred to be a Dwarf Hummingbird Mint. A Terra Nova Nurseries introduction and a very exciting and desirable one. It's a red flowering Agastache! I'm looking forward for it becoming available to grow, whether in my garden in a container, in the ground or both.
I have a gallon size pot coming from Romence Gardens in my 2019 spring order.
I just wanted to highlight the fragrance of this plant. it's quite amazing!
This is our first Anise Hyssop, so I'm guessing that this might apply to all/most of them, but this has been one of the most uniquely fragrant plants in our new landscape, which includes everything from Elfin Thyme to Chocolate Daisy. It seems to be a very aromatic, candy-sweet smell. Additionally, even the overwintered stalks and stems that we cut down in the spring still retain a rich smell even after being subjected to winter snow/wetness and drying out after.
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