The plant is a tongue twister, but your friends will be impressed if you can say “agastache” or “anise hyssop.” But even if you can’t, the plant is a nice addition to your garden, particularly if you live in deer country.
Much has been said about “deer resistant” plants. To my way of reckoning, the only deer resistant plants are the ones planted where there are no deer at all. Deer are the ultimate survivalists and will eat “deer resistant” plants with relish when they are hungry enough. That usually means the period toward the end of winter, or during periods of mid-winter deep snowfall.
Given a choice, deer are very much like the rest of us. They prefer one type of salad greens to another. Agastache is one plant they will avoid when there are better things to eat. Agastache is also called “anise hyssop” and, as the name would imply, has a strong odor which is unpleasant to deer.
Agastache blooms on 4-inch-long spikes that are covered with small lavender-blue flowers. The blooms attract butterflies and bees. Planting agastache will help insure that bee colonies survive. Agastache is durable and can be grown in sun or partial shade. It tolerates dry conditions and requires little maintenance. Once in a while, the deer will help the plant by nipping the ends of its 2 to 3 foot stalks before moving on to greener pastures.
