Agastache hybrid 'Astello Indigo' is highly versatile and can be grown for perennial and annual borders, containers and patio pots, alone or in mixed combinations. The uniformity of this variety creates a beautiful sight when planted 'en masse' in borders or landscape plantings. Ideal for Northern European-type climates - performed well in trials in warmer climates, but is at its best in more temperate conditions.
USE
Agastache hybrid 'Astello Indigo' is a completely new type of hybrid Agastache from seed, perfectly suited for use in pots and containers as well as garden beds. The Fleuroselect judges were impressed by the strong, bushy plants, showing the ideal combination of vigorous growth and compact habit. Beautiful, upright spikes are fully covered with fragrant, deep indigo-blue flowers with a delightful minty scent that attracts butterflies and bees. A first-year flowering perennial that is ideal for annual production and highly versatile for growers being suitable for various pot sizes and production schedules.
MARKET VALUE
The grower will appreciate the versatility of this variety. It can be grown in various pot sizes for spring and early summer sales, and does not need vernalization. Flowers from a spring sowing in the first year in 9 cm up to 22 cm pots. Robust plants with disease free culture. Landscapers can fill larger areas with a sea of uniform, deep Indigo-Blue colour. Retailers will profit from robust plants that do not suffer during transportation and will stay attractive on the bench for up to 3 weeks. The trendy colour and attractive fragrance will enchant consumers who have endless usage opportunities with this variety, in patio, terrace or balcony containers or garden beds, long-flowering, disease-resistant and hardy. Flower spikes can also be dried for attractive, fragrant pot pourri. Attracts bees and butterflies into the garden.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Agastache, is a genus of 9-12 species of perennial herbs in the family Lamiaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America. Also known as hyssop or hummingbird mint, these plants are famous for their ability to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Most species are very upright, with stiff, angular stems clothed in toothed-edged, lance shaped leaves. Upright spikes of tubular, two-lipped flowers develop at the stem tips in summer. The popularity of these species as garden perennials has increased in recent decades and led to significant developments in breeding of hybrids for various uses and characteristics. Recently more seed raised varieties have been introduced. These compact, fragrant varieties are highly popular and favoured colours range from traditional blue shades to pink and white, yellow and orange varieties. Van Hemert and Co. Seeds first introduced Agastache hybrida 'Arcado Pink', a Fleuroselect Approved Novelty in 2010, and now extend their Agastache offering with 'Astello Indigo', a strong and even more compact variety and a worthy winner of the 2012 Fleuroselect Gold Medal.