<i>Agastache </i>plant named ‘Queen Nectarine’

Abstract

A new and unique cultivar of hyssop, Agastache plant named ‘Queen Nectarine’ with medium-sized, dense, rounded, well-branched habit. The flowers cover the top two-thirds of the plant, are large, soft-peach colored, with mauve-colored calyxes in densely branched panicles over an extended period beginning in early summer. The new plant is useful in the landscape and as a cut flower.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Agastache plant named ‘Queen Nectarine’ 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 the 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 an overwintered trial block at a nursery near Zeeland, Mich.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

(4) The following is a detailed description of the new Agastache cultivar ‘Queen Nectarine’ based on observations of a three-year-old specimen grown with supplemental watering and fertilizer as needed 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 92 cm tall and 110 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 6 mm across at base and 60 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 49 cm long and about 4 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; Primary and secondary branch color: Proximal portions nearest RHS 146C, distal portions nearest RHS 146B; nodes nearest RHS 194A; Leaf: Simple; opposite; broadly lanceolate, base truncate; apex acute; margin serrate with seven to ten teeth per side; adaxial and abaxial surfaces glabrous and matte; Leaf size: To about 46 mm long and 16 mm across at base, decreasing distally; Leaf venation: Reticulate; glabrous and slightly impressed adaxial, puberulent and costate abaxial; Leaf color: Young expanding adaxial between RHS 146A and RHS 137A, abaxial between RHS N77D and N77C with distal edge with undertone of nearest RHS 137A; mature adaxial nearest RHS 137B and abaxial nearest RHS 147B; Vein color: Adaxial nearest RHS 151D, abaxial midrib nearest RHS 148C and secondary veins between RHS N77C and RHS N77D; Leaf fragrance: Moderately herbal, minty; Petiole: Micro-puberulent adaxial and abaxial; deeply concave-convex; to 8 mm long and 2 mm across, average 6 mm long and 1.5 mm; Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS 147B with a light blush of nearest RHS N77D; abaxial nearest RHS 146D; Inflorescence: In densely branched panicle with short branches or whorls in axils; 8 to 60 flowers on two short branchlets per node; up to 12 nodes per main stem, and 2,000 to 3,000 flowers per main stem; terminal flowering portion about 24 cm long and about 7.5 cm across; total flowering portion about 42 cm long and about 38 cm across; each stem flowering for about 5 weeks but remain effective for about 6 weeks or more because of the strongly pigmented persistent calyxes; repeating if deadheaded; Bloom period: Early July through frost in Zeeland, Mich.; Peduncle: Average about 62 cm tall and about 5 mm at base; puberulent; attitude upward; Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 146B with distal portion light to heavily blushed with nearest RHS 186C; Pedicel: Cylindrical; short; glabrous; matte; to about 2 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter; altitude mostly upright; color nearest RHS 182A; Flower: Perfect; complete; zygomorphic; sympetalous; bilabiate, with five united petals forming an upper lip 2-lobed and lower lip 3-lobed; attitude outwardly to slightly upwardly; Flower size: About 30 mm long to exerted stamens and style, about 9 mm tall and 7.5 mm across; corolla to about 24 mm long, 6 mm tall, and 5 mm across, about 3 mm diameter at fusion of two lips; Flower period: Individual flowers open for about 3 days; individual panicle lasting for about 5 weeks but remain effective for about 6 weeks and entire plant flowering from early summer to fall; Bud on day prior to opening: Arcuate; clavate to obelliptical; about 25 mm long, 5.5 mm tall and 3 mm wide just before the apex and 1.5 mm wide at base; Bud color: Petals nearest RHS 25B toward apex, ventral portion nearest RHS 20A, dorsal portion between RHS 22B and RHS 21C, ventral base nearest RHS 20A and dorsal base between RHS 22B and RHS 21C; calyx nearest RHS N77B with veins nearest RHS N79B; Petals: Micro-puberulent outside, glabrous inside; matte both adaxial and abaxial; upper and lower petals proximally fused forming tube in the basal 20 mm; Upper 2-lobed petal: About 26 mm long and 6 mm across toward apex; lobes centrally cleft about 1.5 mm deep; lobe apices rounded; margin entire; Lower 3-lobed petal: About 25 mm long, 3.5 mm wide at fusion and 7.5 mm across near middle; arcuate downward in distal 6 mm; center lobe about 4 mm long and 4 mm across, with a rounded emarginate apex 1 mm deep and crenate margin; two side lobes of lower petal spread horizontally, about 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, with rounded apex and entire margin; Petal color: Abaxial and adaxial upper labium nearest RHS 23D, lower labium adaxial apical portion nearest RHS 23B, proximal portion nearest RHS 23C, lower labium abaxial nearest RHS 23C; corolla tube adaxial and abaxial basal throat portion nearest RHS 25D, and adaxial and abaxial distal corolla tube throat nearest RHS 27D; color not changing with maturity; Calyx: Entire; about 7 mm long and diameter about 2.5 mm; Sepals: Five; linear; acute apices; entire margin; fused into tube in basal 6 mm; puberulent outside and glabrous inside; to about 7 mm long, and 1 mm across at fusion; Calyx color: Adaxial nearest RHS 146C with veins nearest RHS 146A and apex strongly blushed with RHS 64B; abaxial nearest RHS 148B with moderate to strong blush of nearest RHS 64B concentrated distally to solid RHS 64B at apex; Gynoecium: Single; to 30 mm long; exerted; Style.—One, about 29 mm long and about 0.3 mm diameter; terete; glabrous; straight; translucent; color distal 5 to 7 mm nearest RHS 24D, proximally nearest RHS 8D. Stigma.—Bifid and reflex; each segment about 1 mm long and about 0.3 mm diameter; tapering to a pointed apex; color nearest RHS 59B. Ovary.—Superior; about 0.5 mm diameter. Ovary color.—Between RHS 150D and RHS 150C. Androecium: Stamen.—In two sets of two, exerted, adnate to the inner corolla. Filaments.—Two longer and two shorter; paired and exerted; longer pair adnate in the basal 21 mm and free in the proximal 9 mm; shorter pair adnate in the basal 15 mm and free in the proximal 9 mm; color nearest RHS 29C. Anthers.—Dorsifixed; versatile; folded; longitudinal; about 1.2 mm long and about 0.8 mm across; color nearest RHS 72A. Pollen.—Abundant; color nearest RHS NN155A. Fragrance: None detected; Fruit: Two carpels; Seed: Nutlet, typically one to two per naturally pollinated flower, ellipsoidal; about 1 mm long, 0.8 mm across and 0.5 mm thick; Seed color: Nearest 202A; Resistance: ‘Queen Nectarine’ 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.