<i>Agastache </i>plant named ‘Royal Raspberry’

Abstract

A new and unique cultivar of hyssop, Agastache plant named ‘Royal Raspberry’ with medium-sized, dense, mounded, well-branched habit and spring foliage color with burgundy cast. The large flowers of rosy-purple coloration begin in early summer and cover the top two-thirds of the plant. The effective flowering season is extended with burgundy-colored calyxes in densely branched panicles. The new plant is useful in the landscape and as a cut flower.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Agastache plant named ‘Royal Raspberry’ as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance of the plant, including its unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the scapes with flowers, buds and calyxes.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side view of two-year-old plants in mid-season flower in a trial block at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

(4) The following is a detailed description of the new Agastache cultivar ‘Royal Raspberry’ based on observations of two-year-old specimens grown in a display garden at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Color descriptions are from the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Plant habit: Multi-stemmed herbaceous perennial, rounded, heavily branched; Plant size: Without growth retardants or pinching—to about 81 cm tall and 78 cm across; Roots: Fibrous, well-branched; to about 2 mm diameter near base; color light tan nearest RHS 165D depending on soil type; Stem: Quadrangular; fistulous; stiff; wiry; finely pubescent; to about 4 mm across at base and 50 cm tall with flowering starting about 35 cm above soil; ten internodes below branched peduncle; internodes average about 3.5 cm long; about eight to ten stems per plant; Primary branches: Quadrate; opposite; about ten per plant; to about 31 cm long and about 2.5 mm diameter at base; Secondary branches: Quadrangular; opposite; up to six per primary branch; to about 40 cm long and 2.5 mm diameter at base; Stem, primary branch, and secondary branch color: Proximal and distal portions nearest RHS 146C with light to moderate blush of nearest RHS N186C in regions exposed to higher light intensities; nodes nearest RHS N187B; Leaf: Simple; opposite; broadly lanceolate, base truncate to cordate; apex acute and micro puberulent; margin serrate with eight to nine teeth per side; adaxial and abaxial surfaces micro-puberulent glabrous and matte; Leaf size: To about 44 mm long and 30 mm near base, decreasing distally; Leaf venation: Reticulate; glabrous and slightly impressed adaxial, puberulent and costate abaxial; Leaf color: Young expanding adaxial between RHS 137A with a slight blush of nearest RHS N186C, abaxial nearest RHS N186C with a slight undertone of nearest RHS 146A; mature adaxial nearest RHS 137A with a slight blush of nearest RHS N186C, mature abaxial nearest RHS 147B with a slight blush of nearest RHS N186C; Vein color: Adaxial nearest RHS 146C, abaxial main proximal veins nearest RHS 148C and distal veins nearest RHS 148B; Leaf fragrance: Moderately herbal, minty; Petiole: Concavo-convex; micro-puberulent adaxial and abaxial; to 9 mm long and 2 mm across, average 6 mm long and 1.5 mm; Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS 148C with a light blush of nearest RHS N186C; abaxial nearest RHS 146D; Inflorescence: In densely branched panicle with short branches or whorls in axils; 8 to 84 flowers on two short branchlets per node; up to 12 nodes per main stem, and up to 1,000 flowers per main stem; flowering portion about 24 cm long and about 7.5 cm across; total flowering portion about 32 cm long and about 33 cm across; each stem flowering for about 5 weeks but remain effective for about 6 weeks or more with strongly-pigmented, persistent, burgundy-colored calyxes; Bloom period: Early July through early fall in Zeeland, Mich.; Peduncle: Average about 32 cm tall and about 3 mm at base; puberulent; attitude upward; Peduncle color: Between RHS 146B and RHS 148B with distal portion nearest RHS N186C; Pedicel: Cylindrical; short; glabrous; matte; attitude mostly upright; to about 2 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS N77A; Flower: Perfect; complete; zygomorphic; sympetalous; bilabiate, with five sympetalous petals forming an upper lip 2-lobed and lower lip 3-lobed; attitude outwardly to slightly upwardly; Flower size: About 29 mm long to exerted stamens, about 11 mm tall and 7 mm across; corolla to about 25 mm long, 6 mm tall, and 7 mm across, tube about 3 mm diameter at fusion of two lips; Flower period: Individual flowers open for about 3 days; individual main panicle lasting for about 5 weeks extending to 6 weeks with branching; and entire plant flowering from early summer to fall; Bud on day prior to opening: Arcuate; clavate; about 22 mm long, 5.5 mm tall and 4.5 mm wide just before the apex and 2 mm wide at base; Bud color: Petals nearest RHS 72A toward apex, ventral portion nearest RHS 70B, calyx between RHS N77B and RHS 72A; Petals: Glabrous adaxial, micro-puberulent abaxial; upper and lower petals proximally fused forming tube in the basal 20 mm long and 3 mm diameter toward fusion of the two petals; both petals matte in both adaxial and abaxial; Upper 2-lobed petal: About 25 mm long and 4.5 mm across toward apex; lobes centrally cleft about 1 mm deep; lobe apices rounded; margin entire; Lower 3-lobed petal: About 26 mm long, center lobe to 5 mm long and 7 mm wide; two side lobes to 2 mm long and 4 mm wide; arcuate downward in distal 6 mm; center lobe apex rounded with crenate margin; two side lobes of lower petal spread horizontally, with rounded apex and entire margin; Petal color: Adaxial and abaxial upper and lower labium between RHS 77B and RHS N78C when initially fully open; just before dropping adaxial and abaxial upper and lower labium between RHS N81B and RHS N81C; adaxial corolla tube basal throat portion nearest RHS N155C and throat distally nearest RHS 84C; abaxial corolla tube basal throat portion nearest RHS NN155C and throat distally between RHS 77B and RHS N78C; Calyx: About 10.5 mm long and diameter about 3 mm; Sepals: Five; linear; acute apices; entire margin; to about 10 mm long and 1 mm wide at fusion, fused into tube in basal 9 mm; micro-puberulent outside and glabrous inside; matte both surfaces; Calyx color: Adaxial proximally between RHS 146D and RHS 145A, distally nearest RHS 146D lightly blushed with nearest RHS 187B; abaxial in high light exposure between RHS 59C and RHS 59B with veins nearest RHS 59B, in shaded position nearest RHS 145A; Gynoecium: Single; to 30 mm long; exerted; Style.—One, about 28 mm long and about 0.3 mm diameter; terete; glabrous; straight; lustrous; color distal 5 to 7 mm between N79C and RHS N79B, proximally nearest RHS NN155D. Stigma.—Bifid and reflex; each segment about 1 mm long and about 0.2 mm diameter; apices tapering to apoint; color nearest RHS N78B. Ovary.—Superior; about 0.5 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 145A. Androecium: In two sets of two, exerted; Filaments.—Two longer and two shorter; paired and exerted; adnate to the corolla; longer pair to 29 mm long and adnate in the basal 20 mm and free in the proximal 9 mm; shorter pair to 27 mm long and adnate in the basal 19 mm and free in the proximal 8 mm; color both sets nearest RHS N78D. Anthers.—Dorsifixed; versatile; longitudinal; to about 1 mm long and about 0.7 mm across; color nearest RHS 83B. Pollen.—Abundant; color nearest RHS NN155C. Fragrance: None detected; Fruit: Two carpels; Seed: Nutlet, typically one to two per naturally pollinated flower, globose; about 1 mm diameter; Seed color: Between RHS 200A and RHS 200B; Resistance: ‘Royal Raspberry’ is resistant to Odocoileus hemionus browsing, and shows no susceptibility to Downy Mildew (Perononspora) but has not been tested or shown resistance to other pests and diseases common to Agastache. Hardiness: The new plant has survived USDA hardiness zones 6 to 10 but has not been tested yet beyond these temperatures.