Licorice Mint Hyssop gives off a delightful scent

Q: My neighbor’s backyard is so colorful. She buys and plants “whatever tickles her fancy,” and has a true green thumb in my opinion. I was admiring a couple of the more established plants and accidentally brushed up against one. All of a sudden I smelled licorice. I was amazed! Since she doesn’t keep any tags, much less receipts, she has no idea what this licorice-smelling plant is. The plant is growing in a mound and sends up blooming stalks that have grey-lavender-orange smallish trumpet flowers. The stalks are pretty much covered with these odd-colored flowers. It’s just startling that this plant smells of licorice. Would you know its name so I can find it? — S.A., Albuquerque

A: I’m gonna bet you have stumbled upon and brushed against a plant called licorice mint hyssop (Agastache rupestris). I’ve always known this charmer as an Agastache, and you are correct, the scent offered when you rub against it is delightful. Sort of a strong minty-licorice smell. It’s one of those plants that you’ll grow so you can rub on it and crush the leaves between your fingers so you can carry the scent with you.

The niftiest part about this agastache is how easy it is to grow. A perennial that will come back year after year successfully with a modicum of care. The Agastache isn’t a water pig and will take it personally if it’s overwatered consistently. I’ve grown it in complete full sun down to partial shade, even in large containers, and have always been rewarded with those strange colored blooms. I mean truly, when can you mix orange, grey and lavender and get a good look? This nifty plant does, and does it terrifically.

I just learned from the High Country Gardens website that this plant, Agastache rupestris, has been named its 2023 Plant of the Year. So if you want to replicate the same plant in your gardens and be offered that delicious scent, now you know. Happy hunting!

Q: Since hornworms are especially fond of tomatoes and other plants in the nightshade family, how can I keep my garden from being eaten up by them without actually harming them? I know they turn into wonderful pollinators once they morph into moths, so I don’t want to hurt them. But I don’t want them decimating my tomato plants either! Any recommendations? — D.J., Albuquerque

A: The only thing I can think of would be to plant a couple of “sacrificial plants” as far away from your true crop as possible. Then, nightly, go out with your flashlight and check your main crop for any hornworms. Hand pick them and relocate them to the sacrificial plants.

You could collect them in a cardboard box and relocate them, not in your neighborhood (you don’t want the neighbors’ gardens infected), but perhaps where you find a lot of weeds growing, and just maybe, they’d survive to become that gorgeous large moth you speak of. In their adult stage they are lovely creatures.

Perhaps you could plant your tomatoes really late in the year and be passed by. Rather like starting zucchini plants much later than normal so you don’t have to battle squash bugs.

I don’t know a good answer and put it out to you, my readers, to see if anyone has a suggestion to save the crop without harming the hornworms. I’ll keep you posted if any suggestions come forth.

And speaking of the Fourth … I will ask that you give everything in your landscaping a decent watering so the plant life is less likely to burn or be scorched because of errant fireworks leading up to and on Independence Day.

Stay safe and have a grand holiday while you are out there Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.