(Giant Hyssop, Honeybee Blue Hyssop)

Agastache rugosa is an aromatic, erect, herbaceous perennial native to Korea, China and Japan. Its cultivar 'Honey Bee Blue' bears spikes of pale lilac-blue flowers atop tall stems from midsummer into fall. The corrugated leaves are anise-scented.

This low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plant likes well drained soil and full sun. It is an excellent choice for sunny mixed borders and hummingbird gardens and does well in containers.

(Giant White Hyssop)

An aromatic, erect, herbaceous perennial native to Korea, China and Japan, this member of the mint family bears spikes of white flowers in summer and autumn. The flowers attract butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. The anise scented leaves are often more silvery than those of purple-flowered forms of A. rugosa. The cultivars 'Alabaster', 'Honey Bee White', and 'Liqourice White' are sometimes included under this plant.

This low-maintenance and drought tolerant plant likes well drained soil and...

(Giant White Hyssop, Honeybee White Hyssop)

A. rugosa f. albiflora is an aromatic, erect, herbaceous perennial native to Korea, China and Japan. The compact cultivar 'Honey Bee White' bears spikes of fragrant white flowers in summer and autumn, drawing butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. The leaves smell of anise with a hint of peppermint.

This low-maintenance and drought tolerant plant likes well drained soil and full sun. It is an excellent choice for sunny mixed borders and wildlife gardens and does well in containers. 'Honey Bee...

(Rock Anise Hyssop, Sunset Hyssop, Threadleaf Hyssop)

Known for its extreme drought tolerance and outstanding garden performance, sunset hyssop is a strongly aromatic, bushy short-lived perennial native to southern Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. This member of the mint family has fine, fragrant, gray-green leaves. In mid to late summer plants become covered with loose spikes of tubular orange flowers with dusty mauve to lavender bases.

Everblooming and tolerant of poor soils, sunset hyssop requires little deadheading and is highly attractive...

(Purple Giant Hyssop)

A member of the mint family, this large, aromatic, bushy perennial is native to eastern and central North America. Feathery, light-purple flower spikes appear from summer to early autumn above large, anise-scented leaves.

This low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plant likes well drained soil and at least partial sun. It is an excellent choice for sunny mixed borders, wildflower plantings, and hummingbird gardens.

(Liquorice Blue Giant Hyssop, Purple Giant Hyssop)

Agastache scrophulariifolia is a large, aromatic, bushy perennial native to eastern and central North America. Its cultivar 'Liquorice Blue' bears fuzzy blue flower spikes from late summer to early autumn above large, anise-scented leaves.

This low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plant likes well drained soil and at least partial sun. It is an excellent choice for sunny mixed borders, wildflower plantings, and hummingbird gardens.

(Coastal Agave, Coastal Century Plant)

Rich powder blue coloring, modest size and a cast iron constitution make this little known species perfect for arid landscapes. The plant originates in the dry coastal regions of Sonora, Mexico but is also found at higher elevations of Sinaloa where it is tolerant of occasional cold snaps. Wild plants prefer to dwell in rocky elevated positions or in sandy, gravelly soils. Leaves are stiff, wide and covered with a tough skin that’s markedly rough to the touch. This coarse durable skin gives the plant...

(Harvard Agave, Harvard's Century Plant)

The dense blue-green rosettes of Harvard's century plant are dramatic and structurally interesting in the landscape. This all-American native naturally exists in the David Mountains located in western Texas. It is an unusually hardy species that can withstand periods of freezing as long as growing conditions remain dry, particularly at the root zone.

The blue-green fleshy leaves of this century plant are large, cupped and heavily spined along the margins. The sharp black leaf tips are particularly...

(Lechuguilla, Shin Dagger)

Native all the way to central Canada (as well as to much of the rest of central and western North America), this prickly pear dispels the myth that cacti are only for warm climates. It is a ground-hugging, mat-forming species bearing small, cylindrical or flattened, spiny pads that are specially adapted to survive beneath snow or dead prairie grass. Although they appear to be succulent leaves, the pads are in fact swollen stem segments (but are treated as leaves in the following description of characteristics)....

(Century Plant, Large-bracted Agave)

This large agave from high altitudes in central Mexico is prized not only for its striking appearance but also for its cold hardiness and shade tolerance. The long, broad-based, almost triangular leaves have jagged edges armed with conspicuous teeth. Leaf color varies from dark to light green. After many years, the leaf rosette sends forth a towering stem that bears dense clusters of up-facing funnel-shaped yellow blooms on long horizontal side stalks.

This uncommon agave does best in partial...