I can't seem to ID this plant! The leaves smell like a mixture of sage and lavender. I was told it is a tender perennial here in zone 5. Anyone?
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/28246/ My first thought was a Texas Betony, Stachys coccinea. The red blooms are not a true red and start looking sorta of peachy colored as they age. But yours does not appear to have leaves along the stems with the blooms so it probably is not the same.
If the foliage smells like sage, then it could be salvia, there is only about a zillion different kinds.
Salvia family was my guess too cajunbelle but the blooms are different than any I ahve seen. Sage smell says salvia to me too ER
Netty is there any chance you could take a piccie of the leaves for us as it may help us ID the plant for you?
The stems are indeed square. Eileen-I don't have any more photos, but in the picture you can see it's longish slender leaves. (ignore the russian sage foliage in the background and the red hot poker in the foreground) Muddybob you may be onto something here-it looks quite similar to the Orange Hummingbird Mint "Apricot sunrise" but it says zone 7 and higher. Would that survive here in zone 5? I have it in a south facing garden along the edge of our deck. It has been there for 2 years and I have not given it any extra winter protection. Oh and I just found some notes-this plant came with no tag and I was told it was spanish lavender. I looked up spanish lavender and it looks nothing like this plant!
I think Muddy has hit the nail on the head for you Netty!! I agree it looks nothing like Spanish mint!!!
Well after doing a bit more research, I think that we can postively id this plant as Agastache aurantiaca x rupestris x coccinea 'Apricot Sunrise' Hyssop. Grows in zones 5-9. Thanks everyone!
I had apricot sunrise one year. It did not like it so much at my place. I'm ready to try again. muddy
So it appears to be a second cousin once removed to the Texas Betony plant I have....it's got coccinea in it's name too, but is a Stachys coccinea. I have an Anise Hyssop that the bees just love, I think I will add Apricot Sunrise Hyssop to my list for next spring.