Agastache rupestris grows wild on cool mountain slopes of the southwestern United States, and the species name, rupestris, means living on a cliff — a hint at both its origins and its preference for sharp drainage and lean conditions. At 1.5 to 3 feet tall, it forms a compact, fine-textured clump with silver-gray foliage that carries the genus's signature licorice scent. The flowers are warm gold-orange, sometimes tending toward apricot, and they appear from summer into fall in the long succession that makes hyssops such reliable contributors to late-season garden borders.

This is a plant for dry climates and well-drained soils; high humidity can cause problems, and heavy wet winter clay will end it. Sandy, rocky, or gravelly soils are ideal, and container or raised bed culture is the right approach where drainage is uncertain. Once established, it is drought tolerant and largely pest-free, and its licorice-scented foliage keeps deer at a distance. Deadhead after the first flush of blooms to encourage a second wave in fall. Zones 5 to 8.