Since there isn't a forum for Salvias & Agastaches, this seems a decent forum to post about them since they can be good cottage garden plants.

This is one of my favorite groups of plants for both their beauty and their attractiveness to hummingbirds and other pollinators. I'm not even sure how many varieties I have right now but it's definitely over 25. When I get to a computer that isn't flaky, I can hopefully post some more photos.

Here's Salvia leucantha 'Ferpink' at the UGA Trial Gardens in Athens, GA a few years ago. This cultivar is also sold under the names of 'Danielle's Dream' and 'Pink Velour' depending on the country. I just got a small plant this spring and look forward to a few blooms this fall.



So what are your favorites?
Please share photos and chat about this great group of plants.

Salvia 'May Night'

Agastache 'Golden Jubilee'

Agastache 'Pink Pop'

Here is mine. Not close ups.

Black/Blue salvia


Apricot Salvia

What's the difference between salvia & agastache's? And will agastache grow 30 miles south of the Ga. border?

That is what the second one is Apricot Sprite Agastaches, and I don't remember hearin of them before I got these. shows how I get around. The B/B is about 4' tall and the Agast is 3 1/2'.
I think we live farther south than 30 mi.

Okay, I should have made myself more clear. Will agastache grow in Florida 30 miles south of the Fl./Ga. border?

I suspect it will, but there's others who will know better than me.

I have the 'May Night' also, and love, love, love it. It's the first and last to bloom for me; it starts around mid-March straight through until October. I got 'Caradonna' this year and was really impressed with the dark stems/blooms. I put East Friesland, Pink Friesland, Snow Hill, Purple Haze and May Night together with some Nepeta, I'll try and remember to post a pic once it's cleaned up. The Purple Haze will probably have to come out, it just doesn't fit.

I also grow S. farinacea "Victoria Blue". It's not supposed to be hardy, but I have it against my brick porch and it comes back for me there.

Great topic!

Salvias and agastaches are both members of the same family, Lamiaceae or mints. I think of them as cousins.

Lovely Photos, Tee & Charleen!

FYI, That 'Lambada' looks like Monarda 'Lambada.' Monardas are also in the Lamiaceae family and "cousins" to the Salvias and Agastaches.

Ann, I'm not sure how the western Agastaches would do at your place since they don't care for humidity and hot nights. The few I've had have been short lived, only living a few years with the exception of rupestris which is still hanging in there. There is a new one that I just got called 'Heat Wave' that is supposedly more tolerant of heat and humidity. I got mine at a local nursery but I saw some at Home Depot too. I think 'Tutti Frutti' is supposed to do better too but mine is new. The broader leaved, blue, bee pollinated Agastaches are much more adaptable and can be invasive when happy.

I can only do a few photos at a time thanks to my flaky computer. Here are a some from my garden a couple of years ago.

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' and a few wisps of Agastache aurantiaca 'Coronado' growing with Lilium and Echinacea 'Pixie Meadowbrite'



Here is Salvia hybrid 'Silke's Dream' (darcyi x microphylla)



Agastache aurantiaca 'Coronado' growing with Salvia greggii 'Lipstick'

Thank you ladies for the explanations. Nice photos everyone. We bought 5 ac. & a good portion is meadow which I would like to turn into wildflower meadow. So I will be looking into plants I can "naturalize". I think I should add salvias & agastache to the list along with phlox, gallardia, coreopsis.

Oops, you are so right ... it is Monarda Lambada. I always call that one by the wrong name for some reason. Got started on the wrong foot with it and just keep on keepin on. Thanks for the correction. Anyway, it's a kissin' cousin.

Agastache "Honey Bee Blue" (sorry about the washed-out color in the photo - it's a beautiful darker blue)






The Agastaches (Hyssop) mostly smell wonderful ... spicy, sweet ... yummy!

Ooooooo, I can't wait to try some! I know salvias are pretty drought tolerant but that's odd being in the mint family as mint likes moisture at least to my knowledge. What about the agastache?

The Agastache tends to smell good like its mint relatives. The Salvias, not so much. At least to me. My Agastaches have done fine this summer in intense direct sunshine, a lot of heat, and sometimes minimal watering. When first planted they can look like they aren't going to make it at all, all wilted down, and then once they take root, it's off to the races. Wonderful plants. I can't recommend the highly enough.

Oh, now see, I didn't know they were the same thing as Hyssop. That's an ingredient in my new favorite tea. I wonder which one they use....

Hi Patricia, good to see you! (I was Pagancat on DG equine forum).

Good. I'm glad to hear that Tee. Thanks. Also good to know they melt down & look like they croaked till they get established. And sun--- you know we have plenty of that here in the Sunshine State.

Well, 100º was about as hot as it got here this summer with a heat index of around 112º ... but they didn't seem phased in the least.

I'm impressed.

Me too.

I wintersowed agastache purple pygmy for several years. Beautiful, but they all only lasted 2 or 3 years. I added a new one this year, but I forget the name.

I grow annual salvia every year. This year I wintersowed a salvia nemorosa.

Karen