Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’

Jan 21, 2017 | Love This!

Imagine: You’re sitting with friends and family around the fire pit, laughing and telling stories. Dinner and drinks have been consumed and everyone is enjoying the fact that a steady breeze is keeping the mosquitoes away. The kids have finished roasting marshmallows and are chasing each other around the yard with sticky fingers outstretched. It’s the perfect summer evening, and the gardens that surround this part of the yard are in full, abundant bloom. Someone comments that the groups of Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ seem to glow in the fading light, although not knowing its name, they call it ‘that tall plant with the lavender flowers.’ Everyone stops to admire this perennial, and even though they may not be able to name it, to see this blooming plant in the garden makes them feel fortunate indeed.

 Name: Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’

Type of Plant: A perennial for full sun that is hardy in Zones 5-9.

Why I love this: This is truly a low-maintenance perennial. You don’t have to do anything to this plant from spring to fall, it doesn’t self-seed or spread much, and it’s fairly trouble free. Deer or rabbits don’t eat ‘Blue Fortune’, and the flowers last for a long time, from early July into September. I particularly love the fact that although blue flowers often don’t show up in the evenings, the flowers on ‘Blue Fortune’ are showy even as it gets dark.

Plant ‘Blue Fortune’ in full sun and in locations where it can grow to four feet tall.

A Word to the Wise:  There are two things to know about ‘Blue Fortune’ in order to be successful with this perennial. First, plant it in groups of five or more. Because this Agastache grows upright, it looks best in larger groups of plants, placed about 2 feet apart center to center.

Secondly, this perennial does not tolerate wet soil in the winter. Place this in well-drained areas and if your soil is an unforgiving clay, plant ‘Blue Fortune’ on a slope so that it won’t have wet feet.

Groups of 'Blue Fortune' are perfect for the center or rear of a perennial garden. Here they are combined with green Nicotiana, blue Delphiniums, pink Astilbe and red Dahlias.

Groups of ‘Blue Fortune’ are perfect for the center or rear of a perennial garden. Here they are combined with green Nicotiana, blue Delphiniums, pink Astilbe, blue Salvia patens and red Dahlias.

'Blue Fortune' comes into flower in July so it combines well with Echinacea (purple cone flower) and Coreopsis.

‘Blue Fortune’ comes into flower in July so it combines well with Echinacea (purple cone flower) summer Phlox, and Coreopsis.

The deer and bunnies don't usually bother 'Blue Fortune' and the foliage has a minty fragrance.

The deer and bunnies don’t usually bother ‘Blue Fortune’ and the foliage has a minty fragrance.

2 Comments

  1. Myles P Moriarty

    Great Western Hyssop?

    Reply
    • CL Fornari

      Myles,
      You’re correct that Agastaches are often called hyssop, but the one you mention is Hyssopus officinalis, a shrubby plant. Agastache foeniculum is a perennial and although some people call it “anise hyssop” it’s a totally different plant. Be sure to look for the Agastache that is labeled ‘Blue Fortune’ however because seed-grown varieties of Agastache foeniculum self-seed everywhere and you’ll regret having grown it. ‘Blue Fortune’ doesn’t set seeds.

      Reply

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