Name: Agastache Acapulco Orange aka orange hummingbird mint
Type of Plant: Perennial to tender-perennial for full sun and containers. Hardy in zones 6-10 (maybe colder – let me know if you’ve grown this in a cold zone 5, OK?)
Why I love this: There are so many reasons to love Agastaches in general, and this one in particular. Acapulco Orange is a beautiful coral color that looks stunning with blues and purples. The hummingbirds love it, and you can plant this short-growing variety in gardens or containers. I grew these in my “cocktail hour” planters last year so we could watch the hummers in the evening. In the fall I transplanted them up to my dry garden near the road, and even without watering all fall or protective mulch they made it through a cold zone-6 winter. This is impressive for a fall-planted perennial, leading me to believe that this one might make it in zone 5.
A Word to the Wise: In general this genus of plants likes low fertility (hold off on the fertilizer) and well-drained soil. Don’t plant this where an automatic irrigation system will hit it frequently. But here’s some more good news: deer and rabbits tend to leave Agastache alone!
This is a perfect “cocktail hour garden” plant: the flowers catch the light of the setting sun, and they attract hummingbirds as well. Every porch, patio, or garden should have one or more of these plants.
