<i>Agastache </i>plant named ‘Danish Delight’

Abstract

A new and distinct cultivar of Agastache plant named ‘Danish Delight’, characterized by its tall and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate; bright green-colored leaves; relatively long inflorescences with numerous large flowers that are bright reddish purple in color; and good garden performance.

Claims

1. A new and distinct Agastache plant named ‘Danish Delight’ as illustrated and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

(1) The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Agastache plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Agastache plant.

(2) The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Danish Delight’ grown in a container.

(3) The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Danish Delight’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the autumn in 9-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Lisserbroek, The Netherlands and under conditions and cultural practices which approximate those typically used in commercial Agastache plant production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 24° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 15° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Sixth Edition, 2015, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Measurements represent averages for typical flowering plants. Botanical classification: Agastache hybrida ‘Danish Delight’. Parentage: Female, or seed, parent.—Agastache hybrida ‘Blue Boa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,050. Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Agastache hybrida, not patented. Propagation: Type.—By softwood cuttings. Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at temperatures about 18° C. Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically white to brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots. Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. Plant description: Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown as a container and garden plant; tall and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate. Branching habit.—Basal branching with about three primary lateral branches developing per plant; pinch will enhance lateral branch development. Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 62.4 cm. Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 80.5 cm. Plant width.—About 20.1 cm. Primary branch description.—Length (excluding inflorescence): About 57.4 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 7 cm. Shape: Quadrangular. Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About 10° from vertical; secondary lateral branches, about 30° from primary branch axis. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; matte. Color, developing: Close to 144B. Color, developed: Close to 146C; at the ridges, close to 146B. Leaf description: Arrangement.—Opposite and decussate; simple. Length.—About 8.5 cm. Width.—About 5.8 cm. Shape.—Ovate to narrowly cordate. Apex.—Acuminate. Base.—Cordate. Margin.—Coarsely dentate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent; matte. Venation pattern.—Pinnate. Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 197A and N199A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B and 148B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 147D. Petioles.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 1.75 mm by 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 144C. Flower description: Flower arrangement and shape.—Single bilabiate flowers arranged on erect and relatively large racemes; freely flowering habit with about 440 flowers developing per inflorescence and about 1,320 flowers developing per plant during the flowering season; flowers face mostly outwardly. Fragrance.—None detected; leaves and stems are sweet and mint-like. Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants begin flowering about ten weeks after planting; plants flower during the late spring into the summer in an outdoor environment in The Netherlands; flowers last about ten days on the plant, flowers not persistent. Flower buds.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Shape: Oblong to narrowly obovate. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; matte. Color: Immature petals and free sepal apices, close to 53C; immature calyx tube, slightly lighter than N77B. Inflorescence height.—About 11.4 cm. Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.4 cm. Flower size.—About 4 mm by 8 mm. Flower depth.—About 2.4 cm. Flower throat diameter.—About 2 mm. Flower tube length.—About 1.2 cm. Flower tube diameter.—About 3 mm. Petals.—Arrangement: Five petals; two upper petals (upper lip) with two lateral petals and one lower petal (lower lip); petals fused proximally. Length: Upper petals: About 1.7 cm. Lateral petals: About 1.4 cm. Lower petal: About 1.6 cm. Width: Upper and lateral petals: About 2 mm. Lower petal: About 5 mm. Shape: Upper and lateral petals: Narrowly oblanceolate. Lower petal: Narrowly spatulate to narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Upper and lateral petals: Irregularly obtuse. Lower petal: Retuse to emarginate. Base, all petals: Lower 75% of petals fuse into a narrow tube. Margin: Upper petals: Entire; not undulate. Lateral petals: Entire; slightly undulate. Lower petal: Entire; moderately undulate. Texture and luster, all petals, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; matte. Texture and luster, throat: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, tube: Densely pubescent; matte. Color, upper and lateral petals: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 73A. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to NN74C; venation, close to NN74C; color becoming closer to 67B with development. Color, lower petal: When opening, upper surface: Close to NN74C. When opening, lower surface: Close to NN74B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN74C; towards the margins, close to NN74B; venation, close to NN74C and NN74B; with development, color becoming closer to 67A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN74C; venation, close to NN74C; with development, color becoming closer to 67B and towards the margins, close to 67A. Throat: Close to NN74C; venation, close to NN74C. Tube, upper side: Close to N74B; venation, close to N74B. Tube, lower side: Close to NN74C to NN74D; venation, close to NN74C to NN74D. Calyx.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused to form a tubular calyx. Length: About 7.5 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Sepal length: About 7.5 mm. Sepal width: About 1.5 mm. Sepal shape: Obovate; 60% of proximal length is fused. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture and luster, upper (inner) surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Sepal texture and luster, lower (outer) surface: Densely pubescent; matte. Sepal color: When opening, upper (inner) surface: Close to 197C; towards the apex, close to N77B; venation, close to 197A. When opening, lower (outer) surface: Slightly lighter than N77B. Fully opened, upper (inner) surface: Close to 197C; towards the apex, close to N77B; venation, close to 197A. Fully opened, lower (outer) surface: Close to 147C; towards the base, close to 145D and towards the apex, close to N77B. Peduncles.—Length: About 13.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.75 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: Mostly erect. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 152B. Pedicels.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Strength: Moderately weak. Aspect: About 45° from peduncle axis. Texture and luster: Moderately to densely pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 144B. Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to N74D. Anther shape: Elliptic; dorsifixed. Anther size: About 0.75 mm by 0.75 mm. Anther color: Close to N186A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.1 cm. Stigma diameter: About 0.5 mm. Stigma shape: Cleft. Stigma color: Close to 70A. Style length: About 2 cm. Style color: Close to N74C. Ovary color: Close to 147D; towards the apex, close to 184A. Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not been observed on plants of the new Agastache. Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Agastache have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Agastache plants. Garden performance: Plants of the new Agastache have exhibited good garden performance, to tolerate temperatures ranging from −13° C. to about 40° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 11.