I'm not impressed with Autumn Fire at all.Autumn Joy still is the best..

>Autumn Joy still is the best.

Well, AJ is a great plant, but there are other equally fantastic sedums. I like Matrona quite a bit, maybe more than AJ. I haven't seen Autumn Fire, though, and might have to have a look.

Thanks. We put in a new path, and I belatedly realized the hakoneolea grass I bought at such a great price will fry there. Last weekend I got beautiful autumn fire- quite a few- at a very bad price just because I was with my husband who likes to finish a job. Yeah, right. Everything is his fault! I went to Arena Farms where there were not as beautiful but servicable Matrona for 4 bucks each, and quickly realized what a great plant it is...esp since it cost 4 bucks. The other nursery will let me return the AF. I have Matrona already, and do like it a lot.

Rozanne will look good with it too, don't you think? What else do you like with Matrona that is moderate size? Full sun.

I just bought a couple of Agastache rupestris to please my hummingbirds, and I think they'll look great next to my Matronas. Peachy-lavendar flowers and gray-green foliage. Very airy appearance next to the chunky sedums.

I've never grown them before; maybe others have experience.

Claire

Here is a link that might be useful: Agastache rupestris - sunset hyssop

Funny, Claire, I was going to say that I've got Agastache rupestris near my Matrona; the colors are really perfect together IMHO, and the lightness of the A.r. foliage is a great foil for the heavy leaves and structure of the sedum. I'm not sure if it (A.r.) will be hardy for Idabean, though, it's not very reliable even here. Best bet to have it overwinter is well-drained soil, so that should make it a good companion for Matrona.

I also have weedy self-sown gaura in this area, and the pink flowers compliment the sedum's color too, though not as well as the agastache. Not sure if others have had luck with gaura overwintering but the plain pink does self-sow if encouraged at all, and the seedlings bloom later than established plants.

I also think one of the shorter, fine textured Artemesias would be great with Matrona. I don't have that, but do have a lot of lavender near mine, it likes the same conditions.

Marie, I know *exactly* what you mean about certain people liking to finish a project at any cost. In my household, it's a good thing, too, because I don't bother to finish anything. Starting things is so much more fun.

is "a.r." named? which agastache is the common one, the great re-seeder with pale lavender flowers? Probably the best bet is to start with inexpensive seedlings from Green Mountain or Bluestone, and distribute the seeds around the plant in fall. It won't cost any money. I got a great crop of angelica gigas that way. I am not inclined to winter sowing; fall self-sowing I can help facilitate.

Which artemesias are you thinking about,Nan? Doesn't the humidity make them lag? I'd have to amend the soil because it is pretty rich after 10 years of gardening.

And if I decide to use Roseanne, that will be color carry-through from late spring until Matrona and the A.R. fulfill their beautiful purpose in life!

Marie/Idabean

Don't plant the unnamed blue agastache! It's terribly prolific; dare I say invasive? Blue Fortune was developed as a better version that does not self-sow, or not widely. The sunset hyssop, Agastache rupestris looks nothing like either of those, it has foliage that's somewhat similar to lavender but more airy.

{{gwi:1092451}}

Here is a link that might be useful: high country gardens

dtd, I am sad to have to agree with you. I added Agastache Honey Bee Blue, grown from seed. I enjoyed the plant the first year so much, that I told everyone to get it..lol. Sorry to anyone I recommended it to. :-)

I love the root beer smell of the leaves and the fragrance is so great when you are collecting seed from it. The Bees love it, naturally. I probably collected all the seed the first year, so I didn't notice how much it self seeds. Last fall, I didn't deadhead or collect seed from it and this spring there were lots of little seedlings. I do have to say though, that they are easy to pull out and they could probably make a nice filler for someone who enjoys gardening that way. I have a need for a little more order and predictability in my beds and that one just didn't work for me. I still have it but I am probably taking it out this fall.

OTOH...I just love that photo of the Agastache you posted dtd and I am looking to add hummingbird plants. Is that a photo of a plant in your yard? That form and color really appeals to me. I am pretty sure I tried an Agastache Bubble Gum once and it didn't come back for me. I would be very tempted to try one again if it is hardy here in zone 6. I didn't mulch it the last time, would that help at all? Can I assume that this type of Agastache does not self seed with abandon? [g]

I do love the high country gardens catalog but haven't ordered from them yet. Do you like them?

pm2

That one's not from my garden, it's from HCG. They are pretty pricey, but they have a great reputation.

I've had mixed results with overwintering sunset hyssops, but had a few survivors for several years that I lost during that awful winter - was it 2 years ago? They really demand good drainage, so I plant them on a small hill. I buy at least one every year, different varieties, looking for one that will overwinter again. Bluestone has a couple of different ones, much less expensive than HCG.

Too late, I planted it long ago and it has spread, but mostly to the edge of the woods, where it feeds the bees and is prettier than most of the weeds there. It's in a few other places, but I don't find it a pest. Maybe the zone 5 climate. But my question still isn't answered. Which agastache do you love with your Matrona? What name? Tutti Fruiti? Bubblegum? Thanks!
Marie

Thanks dtd, I will check out Bluestone. :-)

idabean - sorry, I don't know which one it is. I buy them randomly because the name on the label does not seem to have much to do with whether it is going to overwinter for me. It has more salmon/peach in it than some others, i.e. it is not pink; but I don't even have a photo.

Maybe I'm confused on this one, but which is better - Autumn Joy or Autumn Fire? I've read that 'Fire' is supposedly an improvement on Autumn Joy, but nobody has had a really good comparison of the two that I can find. Maybe I'll roll with 'Joy' because it is such a standby...

I have never grown or even seen an autumn fire sedum in person. Googling the differences, I find:

1. Autumn Fire is also a tall sedum that is less likely to flop over.

2. AF has tighter growth habit, and thicker foliage.

3. AF has more brightly colored flowers.

I can't tell you for sure, but that is what it says!

Well, my local hardware store (of all places) had a flat of Autumn Fire Sedum for a few bucks, so I took the plunge, divided the plant in two (hopefully they are as hardy as everyone says) and stuck them out by my mailbox which is where good plants go to die. It's hot, dry, and the city trucks spray salt all over the area in the winter, and the sedums are listed as salt tolerant. Hopefully these little guys root and flourish!

Great! Please report back on how it does, because we'd all like to know.

I added some Autumn Fire to a bed of Autumn Joy several years ago and I can’t tell them apart. Same color, same height, same bloom time and same sprawl. They all need plant support rings to keep them upright.