How to Grow Agastache
'Raspberry Daiquiri' from Seed
A raspberry-pink agastache with mint and aniseed scented leaves, flowering from midsummer to the frosts in its first year from seed. Give it sharp drainage and it lasts for years.
'Raspberry Daiquiri' is a raspberry-pink agastache, a change from the usual violet-blue. Slender tubular flowers are carried in loose whorls up the stems from midsummer to the frosts, above leaves that smell strongly of mint and aniseed when you brush past.
Unusually for a perennial, it flowers in its first summer from a spring sowing, which is the main reason to grow it from seed. At around 50 to 60cm it sits in the middle of a border. Its warm raspberry-coral colour looks best with bronze grasses and the hot end of the border.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Short-lived perennial
Sowing Time
Feb to Apr, under cover
Flowering
July to September, first year
Position
Full sun, sharp drainage
Height
50 to 60cm
Difficulty
2 out of 5, easy
Understanding the Plant
'Raspberry Daiquiri' is a variety of Agastache aurantiaca, a member of the mint family from the dry mountains of Mexico. It is a short-lived perennial whose aromatic leaves and tubular flowers are loved by bees, while rabbits and deer tend to leave it alone.
Drainage decides its lifespan. In sharp, dry, sunny ground it will give you three or four years. In heavy soil, or through a wet winter, it rots at the crown and you will need to sow again in spring.
Think about colour
The pink is a warm raspberry with a coral edge. It clashes slightly with the cool blue-pinks of many cottage borders, but looks superb with oranges, bronze grasses, rudbeckias and other hot colours.
When & How to Sow
Sow under cover from February to April. An early start gives plants time to flower well in their first summer.
Improve drainage before planting
On heavy soil, dig in plenty of grit or plant into a raised bed, gravel garden or large pot. Setting the crown slightly proud of the soil also helps it through wet winters.
Sow thinly and barely cover. Sprinkle seed on damp seed compost, cover with a fine dusting of vermiculite, and keep at 18 to 21°C. Seedlings appear in one to three weeks.
Prick out and grow on. Move seedlings into modules or small pots once they have true leaves, and grow them on bright and cool.
Plant out after frost. Harden off and plant out from mid-May to June, around 40cm apart, in full sun and very well-drained soil.
Growing On Tips
Sun and grit
Full sun and sharp drainage are essential for plants that last beyond one year.
Keep it dry
Water young plants until established, then leave them. Agastache handles drought well.
Bee magnet
Bees visit the tubular flowers constantly through late summer.
Scented leaves
Plant by a path where you will brush the mint and aniseed foliage.
Leave stems over winter
Cut back in spring rather than autumn. Old stems help protect the crown from winter wet.
Rabbit resistant
The aromatic foliage is usually left alone by rabbits and deer.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Plants die over winter | Crown rot in wet soil | Improve drainage with grit, plant in raised beds or pots, and sow again in spring if needed. |
| Few flowers in first year | Sown too late | Sow in February or March for summer flowering. |
| Colour clashes in the border | Warm pink next to cool pinks | Move to a hot-coloured scheme with oranges and bronze. |
| Leggy seedlings | Too warm or too little light | Grow on in bright, cooler conditions after germination. |
| Powdery mildew | Dry roots in late summer | Water deeply in long droughts and give plants space. |
When to Expect Flowers
Plants sown in early spring flower from July in their first year and continue until the frosts. Established plants flower again each summer on well-drained ground.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow under cover | ||||||||||||
| 🪴 Plant out | ||||||||||||
| 🌸 Flowering |
Plant Specifications
Raspberry-pink agastache for hot, dry borders
Sow early under cover, plant into sharp-draining soil in full sun, and enjoy scented foliage and bee-covered flowers from the first summer.
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