Blue Blazes Hyssop

Agastache ‘Blue Blazes’ is a tall, vigorous perennial hybrid with glowing lavender-purple flower spikes and pinkish calyxes. Bred by Kelly Grummons of Timberline Gardens and introduced by [High Country Gardens](https://www.highcountrygardens.com/products/perennial-agastache-blue-blazes), it brings late-season color and pollinator activity to sunny borders. ## Cultivar and Placement The breeder describes ‘Blue Blazes’ as a cross involving its ‘Desert Sunrise’ selection and eastern native Agastache foeniculum. [Red Butte Garden’s cultivar record](https://redbuttegarden.org/plants/species/1541/) lists a mature size of about 4.5 feet high by 2 feet wide, with August–September flowers and hardiness in zones 5–9. [University of Wisconsin Extension](https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/anise-hyssop-agastache-foeniculum/) also identifies its hybrid parentage and lavender-purple blooms. Growth may be shorter in dry sites or taller where moisture is more available. Use it in the middle or back of a border, with enough room for its upright flowering stems. ## Growing Conditions Plant in full sun and well-drained, lean soil. High Country Gardens recommends deep, infrequent watering after the second growing season. Avoid heavy or persistently wet soil. Aromatic foliage and long flowering stems attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, as noted in the cultivar profile at [Digging Dog Nursery](https://www.diggingdog.com/genus/agastache); established plants tolerate dry conditions. ## Maintenance Pinch stems in late spring if a more compact outline is wanted. Leave stems standing through winter and cut them back in late spring as new growth emerges.