Agastache mexicana 'Forever Summer Berry'

Forever Summery Berry Hyssop

Botanical Name: Agastache mexicana ‘Forever Summer Berry’
Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)
Origin: Mexico & the American Southwest
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial (short-lived; often 3–5 years) for sunny, dry gardens

Overview

‘Forever Summer Berry’ is a compact, long-flowering agastache with raspberry-pink flower spikes over aromatic, mint-anise scented foliage. In Adelaide’s temperate/Mediterranean climate it blooms from late spring right through summer into autumn, drawing in bees, butterflies and honeyeaters. It loves heat and dry air, copes with our summer drought once established, and performs well in both ground and large pots provided drainage is excellent.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 45–70 cm H × 40–60 cm W
• Growth Rate: 30-60 cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Mid-green, lightly toothed; aromatic (mint/anise)
• Flowers: Raspberry-pink spires (bracts blush pink); peak late spring–autumn; excellent for cutting and deadheading extends bloom
• Seasonal Interest: Very long flowering season; tidy mound of scented foliage in winter after cutback
• Wildlife Value: High—nectar magnet for native bees, butterflies & honeyeaters
• Tolerance: Drought-tolerant once established; heat and dry wind hardy; light frosts to about −3 to −5 °C (protect from severe frost in hills/valleys); not suited to waterlogging or humid, still spots
• Planting Density: Bedding/mass: 40–50 cm apart (4–6 per m²); Mixed border: 50 cm spacing; Specimen/pot: one plant per 30–40 cm pot
• Pet Friendly: Generally regarded as non-toxic; as with any plant, ingestion of large amounts may upset tummies.

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun (6+ hrs) is best; light afternoon shade tolerated inland on extreme heat days
• Soil: Free-draining sandy/loam; thrives in raised beds or mounded/gravely soils; avoid heavy clay unless improved with grit/gypsum and planted high
• Water Needs: Establishment: 1-2 deep soaks/week for 4–6 weeks. Established: deep soak every week in summer (twice weekly in heatwaves); seldom in winter—only if dry
• Maintenance: Deadhead spent spikes to keep flowers coming; cut back hard in late winter to 10–15 cm to refresh; light feed with low-phosphorus organic fertiliser in spring; mulch with gravel to keep crowns dry
• Lifespan: 3–5 years (may self-seed lightly)
• Climate Zones: Ideal for Adelaide plains and coastal suburbs; also suits hills if frosts are light and drainage is sharp
• Soil pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline preferred; tolerates mildly acidic if drainage is excellent

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Pollinator-friendly colour for cottage and native-mix borders
• Low, airy foreground for roses, salvias and grasses
• Drought-smart pots on sunny courtyards and verandahs
• Repeats beautifully along paths and driveways
• Cut-flower and scent garden staple

Why You Will Love It

Big colour for little water: a compact, heat-loving, berry-pink agastache that flowers for months in Adelaide gardens, perfumes the air, and keeps the pollinators buzzing.