Plant Finder

Moana Nursery High Desert Plant Finder & Guide

Other Names:  Mexican Giant Hyssop

Group/Class:  Summerlong™ Series

Brand:  Darwin Perennials

Description:

An easy to grow selection producing tall flower spikes of purple-pink blooms rising above mounds of fragrant, green foliage; a favorite for native butterflies and hummingbirds; adds interest to gardens and containers; drought tolerant

Ornamental Features

Summerlong™ Magenta Hyssop features airy spikes of lightly-scented fuchsia tubular flowers rising above the foliage from early summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive fragrant narrow leaves emerge coppery-bronze in spring, turning green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Summerlong™ Magenta Hyssop is an open herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Summerlong™ Magenta Hyssop is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Herb Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Summerlong™ Magenta Hyssop will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 22 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Summerlong™ Magenta Hyssop is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.