Department of Entomology Native Plants and Ecosystem Services

Yellow giant hyssop

Agastache nepetoides (L.) Kuntze

Family: Lamiaceae (mint)

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• Bloom Period:
  • Late,
  • Mid-Season,
• Growth Cycle:
  • Perennial,
• Growth Habit:
  • Forbs/Herbs,
  • Shrub,
• Insect Type Attracted:
  • Natural Enemy,
  • Pollinator,
• Light:
  • Full,
  • Partial,
• Region:
  • Northern Lower Peninsula,
  • Southern Lower Peninsula,
• Soil Moisture:
  • Dry,
  • Medium,
  • Wet
• Height:
  • 4ft

Natural enemies attracted

Moderately attractive: Orius insidiousus, Plagiognathus politus, Thomisidae, Empididae and Chalcidoidea.

Mildly attractive: Coccinellidae, Salticidae, Nabidae, Cantharidae, Chrysopidae, Chlamydatus associatus and Aeolothripidae.

Pollinators attracted

Highly attractive: bees including yellow-faced bees, sweat bees, and bumble bees.

Pests attracted

Moderately attractive: lygus bugs and leaf beetles.

Mildly attractive: Japanese beetles, leafhoppers and thrips.

Plant notes

Yellow flower spikes bloomed on this robust plant. Plants filled in during the second year of growth. Flower spikes appear green from a distance, with only a few individual yellow flowers open at a time. This species bloomed throughout August. This was one of the less attractive late season native plants to natural enemies, but did have two times more natural enemies than the grass control.

Habitat

Yellow giant hyssop grows in full to partial sun, and fairly dry to very wet locations. It naturally occurs in meadows, along fencerows, in lowland woods and thickets. It is also found in upland deciduous woods.

Cultivation and management

It can be grown from seed (flowers in second year or third year) or plug material (flowers in first year or second year). We saw no evidence of deer or other vertebrate browsing on this species. It looks best when planted in mass; ideal for naturalizing in semi-shaded moist areas.