Giant Hyssop 'Kudos Mandarin'
Agastache 'Kudos Mandarin'
A compact, mounding hummingbird mint with vivid orange tubular flower spikes held over aromatic, mint-and-licorice-scented foliage from early summer well into fall.
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Agastache ‘Kudos Mandarin’ is a compact hummingbird mint bred by Terra Nova Nurseries, forming a tidy mound of aromatic, minty-licorice-scented foliage topped from early summer through fall by dense, upright spikes of vivid orange, tubular flowers.
A long season of orange spikes
The flower spikes open continuously over an unusually long season, from early summer well into fall, drawing hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies the entire time. Deadheading spent spikes keeps new ones coming.
Care tips
Give it full sun and well-drained soil — it tolerates a wide range of soil types as long as drainage is good, and it’s drought tolerant once established, so avoid overwatering or letting it sit in soggy ground, especially over winter. Good airflow helps prevent powdery mildew. Trim old stems back in spring to refresh the plant, and enjoy the fragrant foliage and steady stream of pollinators all summer and fall. Deer and rabbits generally leave it alone.
Fun Fact
'Kudos Mandarin' is one of the compact Kudos® series from Terra Nova Nurseries, bred to give this notoriously floppy, short-lived genus a tidy, long-blooming, more winter-hardy form — a big improvement in a plant whose aromatic foliage has long been used to attract hummingbirds and bees but whose older varieties rarely returned reliably each year.
Habitat & form
Where it's from and what to expect.
- Native range
- Garden hybrid bred by Terra Nova Nurseries (parent species native to North America)
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Mature size
- Compact mound 17–22 in. tall and 16–20 in. wide.
- Bloom
- Vivid orange, tubular flowers in dense upright spikes from early summer into fall.
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 5–10.
Care
How to keep it happy.
- Sunlight
- Full sun for the best flowering; tolerates part shade in very hot climates.
- Water
- Drought tolerant once established; water moderately and avoid soggy soil, especially in winter.
- Soil
- Average, well-drained soil; tolerates chalk, clay, loam, and sand. Prefers neutral to slightly acidic pH.
- Planting distance
- 18–24 in apart.
- Propagation
- Divide in spring
- Pruning
- Maintenance: low. Deadhead to encourage continued bloom, and trim old stems back in spring for fresh growth.
- Pet safety
- Non-toxic