Agastache 'Blue Fortune' (Blue Fortune hyssop) care

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Full sun for the best flowering, sturdiest stems and densest spikes. Tolerates light afternoon shade but grows leggy and flops in too much shade. At least 6 hours of direct sun daily is ideal. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for agastache 'blue fortune' — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering agastache 'blue fortune': when the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Water regularly while establishing, then drought-tolerant once settled. Avoid overwatering and wet feet, especially in winter. 'Blue Fortune' handles damp soils better than most Agastache but still resents waterlogging.

Soil and pot

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' grows best in well-drained, average to lean soil. Sharp drainage is key; tolerates poor, dry and rocky soils. Neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Heavy, wet clay shortens its life — improve drainage with grit. Rich soil produces lush but floppier growth. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' sits happiest at around Ambient outdoor humidity and -1 to 30°C active growth (hardy to about -23°C dormant) (30 to 86°F active growth (hardy to about -10°F dormant)). A sun-loving outdoor perennial with no special humidity needs. Good air circulation helps prevent powdery mildew; it prefers drier air over humid, stagnant conditions. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed agastache 'blue fortune' sparingly. Very light feeder; thrives in lean soil. A light spring compost top-dressing is sufficient. Avoid rich feeding and excess nitrogen, which cause weak, floppy stems and reduced flowering. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on agastache 'blue fortune' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Powdery mildew — Poor air flow and humid conditions cause grey mildew on leaves. Space plants well, water at the base, and choose an open, sunny site.
• Flopping stems — Too rich a soil, too much shade or overwatering makes stems weak and floppy. Grow in lean soil and full sun for self-supporting growth.
• Root rot in wet winters — Soggy winter soil is the main killer. Plant in sharply drained ground; add grit to heavy clay.
• Slow spring emergence — Agastache breaks dormancy late — bare ground in spring is normal. Mark its position and avoid disturbing the crown while you wait.

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or by softwood/basal stem cuttings in late spring to early summer. Being sterile it sets little viable seed, so vegetative methods are the reliable route. Divide clumps every few years to rejuvenate. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' is pet-safe. Agastache foeniculum (anise hyssop), the dominant parent of 'Blue Fortune', is ASPCA-listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses. As with any plant, eating large amounts may cause mild, transient stomach upset, but it is not considered toxic. Identify correctly, as some other Agastache species and true hyssop (Hyssopus) differ. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of agastache 'blue fortune' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Agastache 'Blue Fortune' watering schedule
• Agastache 'Blue Fortune' light requirements
• Best soil mix for agastache 'blue fortune'
• Agastache 'Blue Fortune' fertilizing guide
• When to repot agastache 'blue fortune'
• How to propagate agastache 'blue fortune'
• Agastache 'Blue Fortune' growth rate & size
• Agastache 'Blue Fortune' cold hardiness
• Agastache 'Blue Fortune' temperature & humidity
• Is agastache 'blue fortune' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is agastache 'blue fortune' toxic to cats?
• Is agastache 'blue fortune' toxic to dogs?
• Getting agastache 'blue fortune' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' qualifies for 11 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
• Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Best fragrant houseplants — Indoor plants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage — greenery you can smell, selected from our care library.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Agastache 'Blue Fortune' is also commonly called Blue Fortune hyssop or Anise hyssop.

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