Agastache 'Blue Boa'

If you love agastache, just wait until you grow this exciting newcomer. 'Blue Boa' Hummingbird Mint is already amassing awards, and no wonder—the flowers are not only larger than all others, but last longer, too. You can expect 4+ months of glorious bloom from this tall, sturdy, colorful hyssop.

'Blue Boa' Hummingbird Mint has deep violet-blue blooms held in giant inflorescences on tall, extra-strong spikes. Even the buds are amazing—dark dusty purple, they measure 6 inches long and a bit over an inch in diameter, bursting open to reveal flower clusters 6½ inches across.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds adore the blooms, which begin in early summer and continue right into fall. You will love them too, though, so you may have to work out a compromise: some for the vase, some for the garden and its winged visitors. (If you've never grown a cutting garden, 'Blue Boa' Hummingbird Mint may give you reason to start one)

The flowers arise above bright green foliage on plants that clump at the base, then send up tall, thick spikes. Tolerant of heat and humidity, they thrive in many conditions other perennials find less than ideal, and are generally left alone by pests and diseases. So easy, so irresistibly beautiful.

'Blue Boa' Hummingbird Mint comes to us from the good folks at Terra Nova in Oregon, and we are confident that it's going to be one of the classic varieties. It simply outperforms all its cousins. And as a source of deep blue color (always so hard to find), it just can't be beat. Do add 'Blue Boa' Hummingbird Mint to your sunny border, meadow, driveway planting, or street island this season.