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'Firebird' Giant Hyssop

Agastache (ag-ah-STA-kee)

Family: Lamiaceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

'Firebird' giant hyssop is a hybrid cultivar in the mint family (Lamiaceae) and is a cross between A. coccinea x A. rupestris It will grow 2-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide in full sun and very well-drained soil. Raised beds or containers provide drainage if you have heavy clay soil. The coral orange fragrant tubular flowers have a long bloom season from early summer to frost and add vertical interest. The leaves have a strong minty fragrance and can be used in teas. Use near the front of the border of a pollinator, drought tolerant or rock garden and watch as the pollinators flock to the flowers. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Crown rot can occur in wet soils. Watch for Spider mites, thrips, aphids, whitefly, and slugs More information on Agastache .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 48 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Agastache 'Acapulco Orange' Agastache 'Blue Boa' Lantana camara 'Miss Huff'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf value
Fragrant
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Fragrant grey-green foliage with serrated margins
Flower color
Orange; Pink
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower detail
Spikes of coral-orange flowers in whorls in early summer to frost on a spike.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
The fruit dries and splits to reveal seeds
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Green square stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Fruit type
Capsule

Edibility

Teas can be made from the leaves.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area; Pool/Hardscape
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Small groups
Garden tags
#showy flowers #copper flowers #orange flowers #long bloom time #fragrant leaves #fragrant flowers #butterfly friendly #pollinator plant #full sun tolerant #bee friendly #rabbit resistant #deer resistant
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Rabbits
Particularly resistant to
Deer and rabbit resistant

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.