Agastache 'Guava Lava'

Agastache 'Guava Lava': Coral Spikes Turning Up the Heat

Coral orange flowers in mauve pink cups, erupting all summer like a tropical volcano with excellent taste. 'Guava Lava' runs hot and smells amazing. EVACUATE THE BEIGE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Agastache hybrid
• Common Name: Anise Hyssop, Hummingbird Mint
• Height: 51–56 cm (20–22 in)
• Spread: 56–66 cm (22–26 in)
• Flowers: Coral orange, set in mauve pink calyxes that stay colourful after the flowers fade
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to late summer (July to September)
• Foliage: Green and fragrant, forming a wide, bushy mound
• Features: Fragrant flowers and foliage, good for cutting
• Plant Patent: USPP 36,001

Where to Plant: It's low and wide, so use it toward the front of a sunny border, along a hot walkway or in a big container. It's a natural fit for a pollinator garden or a gravel bed, and the flowers cut and dry well.

Companion Plants: Lavandula 'SuperBlue' makes a low blue edge from June to August. Echinacea paradoxa echoes the warm tones with yellow coneflowers on stems up to 90 cm. Perovskia 'Denim 'n Lace' brings airy blue spires from July into October. The whole group wants full sun.

Plant Care: Plant it in full sun in well-drained soil. Good drainage matters most in winter, when cold, wet soil is what kills Agastache. In clay, work in grit and plant it a little high, or use a raised bed. Water regularly through the first season. After that it handles dry spells well. Skip rich feeding. Leave the stems standing over winter to protect the crown. Cut them back in spring once you see new growth at the base. In zone 5, a sheltered, sunny spot with sharp drainage gives it the best odds.

History: 'Guava Lava' was bred by Hans Hansen at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan. It came from a June 2017 cross between two unreleased hybrid seedlings and was selected from trials in 2019.

Final Thoughts: Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are already circling. Give it sun and well-drained soil. THIS ERUPTION NEEDS NO INSURANCE CLAIM.