Agastache Plant Named ‘balsumleac’

Botanical designation: Agastache hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BALSUMLEAC’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Agastache plant, botanically known as Agastache hybrida , commonly referred to as Giant Hyssop or Hummingbird Mint and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Balsumleac’.

The new Agastache plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hem, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright, mounded and dense Agastache plants that flower early and for a long period of time.

The new Agastache plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Hem, The Netherlands In June 2020 of a proprietary selection of Agastache hybrida identified as code number 20-116, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Agastache spp. ‘Peachie Keen’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,886, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Agastache plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Hem, The Netherlands in July 2021.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings in a controlled environment in Hem, The Netherlands and West Chicago, Illinois since July 2021 has shown that the unique features of this new Agastache plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Agastache have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Balsumleac’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Balsumleac’ as a new and distinct Agastache plant:

•

• 1. Broadly upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit. • 2. Moderately vigorous growth habit. • 3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance. • 4. Medium green-colored leaves. • 5. Freely flowering habit. • 6 Relatively long and dense inflorescences with numerous light peach-colored flowers. • 7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Agastache can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Agastache differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Agastache have light peach-colored flowers whereas plants of the female parent selection have medium yellowish apricot-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Agastache are more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Agastache can be compared to plants of the male parent, ‘Peachy Keen’. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Agastache differ primarily from plants of ‘Peachy Keen’ in time to flower as plants of the new Agastache flower earlier than plants of ‘Peachy Keen’. In addition, plants of the new Agastache are more freely branching than plants of ‘Peachy Keen’.

Plants of the new Agastache can be compared to plants of Agastache hybrida ‘Kudos Mandarin’, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 25,381. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Agastache differ primarily from plants of ‘Kudos Mandarin’ in flowering season as plants of the new Agastache flower for a longer period of time than plants of ‘Kudos Mandarin’. In addition, plants of the new Agastache are denser and more uniform than plants of ‘Kudos Mandarin’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Agastache plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Agastache plant.

The photograph on the first sheet ( FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Balsumleac’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet ( FIG. 2 ) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Balsumleac’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe 22-week old plants grown in 1.72-gallon containers. The plants were pinched two times prior to transplanting rooted young plants and grown in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in West Chicago, Illinois for ten weeks prior to finishing the plants in an outdoor nursery in West Chicago, Illinois for an additional twelve weeks during the summer. Plants were grown under cultural practices typical of commercial Agastache production. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

• Botanical classification: Agastache hybrida ‘Balsumleac’. • Parentage:

•

• Female, or seed, parent .—Proprietary selection of Agastache hybrida identified as code number 20-116, not patented. • Male, or pollen, parent.—Agastache spp. ‘Peachy Keen’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,886. • Propagation:

•

• Type .—By terminal stem cuttings. • Time to initiate roots .—About ten to twelve days. • Time to produce a rooted young plant .—About five to six weeks. • Root description .—Fine to medium in thickness, fibrous; typically white to creamy white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of roots. • Rooting habit .—Freely branching; dense. • Plant description:

•

• Plant and growth habit .—Herbaceous perennial typically grown as a container and garden plant; broadly upright to somewhat outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance. • Commercial crop time .—About ten to twelve weeks from planting rooted young plants are required to produce a finished flowering plant in a 15-cm container. • Branching habit .—Freely basal branching with about five primary lateral branches, each primary lateral branch potentially with about eight secondary branches; pinching enhances lateral branch development. • Plant height .—About 28.5 cm. • Plant width .—About 37 cm. • Primary branch description .—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Shape: Quadrangular. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color, developing and developed: Close to 143B. • Leaf description:

•

• Arrangement and quantity .—Opposite and decussate; simple; about 15 to 25 leaves per lateral branch. • Length .—About 2.5 cm. • Width .—About 1 cm. • Shape .—Obovate. • Apex .—Broadly acute. • Base .—Cordate. • Margin .—Serrate with slightly rounded “teeth”. • Texture, upper and lower surfaces .—Densely pubescent. • Venation pattern .—Pinnate. • Fragrance .—Moderately fragrant; mint-like. • Color .—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 146C. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C to 137D; venation, close to 147C. • Petioles .—Length: About 8 mm to 12 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B. • Flower description:

•

• Flower arrangement and shape .—Single bilabiate flowers arranged on mostly erect and relatively long and dense racemes; freely flowering habit with about four to 19 open flowers per inflorescence and at least 20 terminal and axillary inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering season; flowers face initially upright to mostly outwardly with development. • Fragrance .—Moderately fragrant; mint-like. • Natural flowering season .—Early flowering habit, depending on temperature, plants begin flowering about eight weeks after planting rooted young plants; long flowering period with plants continuously flowering from spring until the autumn in an outdoor environment in Illinois; depending on temperature, individual flowers last about six to seven days on the plant. • Flower buds .—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Clavate. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 31B. • Inflorescence length ( height ).—About 10 cm to 13 cm. • Inflorescence diameter .—About 2 cm. • Flower size .—About 5 mm by 8 mm. • Flower depth .—About 1.8 cm. • Flower throat diameter .—About 2 mm. • Flower tube length .—About 3 cm. • Flower tube diameter, proximally .—About 1 mm. • Petals .—Arrangement: Five petals; two fused upper petals (upper lip) with two lateral petals and one lower central petal (lower lip); petals fused towards the base. Upper petal lobes: Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Fused. Margin: Serrate with slightly rounded “teeth”. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Densely pubescent. Color: When developing and fully developed, upper surface: Close to 31C; venation, close to 31C; color does not change with subsequent development. When developing and fully developed, lower surface: Close to 24D; venation, close to 24D; color does not change with subsequent development. Lateral petal lobes: Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Orbicular. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Fused. Margin: Serrate with slightly rounded “teeth”. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Moderately pubescent. Color: When developing and fully developed, upper surface: Close to 31C; venation, close to 31C; color does not change with subsequent development. When developing and fully developed, lower surface: Close to 24D; venation, close to 24D; color does not change with subsequent development. Lower central petal lobe: Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Cup-shaped. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Fused. Margin: Crenate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; proximally, densely pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Densely pubescent. Color: When developing and fully developed, lower surface: Close to 31C; venation, close to 31C; color does not change with subsequent development. When developing and fully developed, lower surface: Close to 24D; venation, close to 24D; color does not change with subsequent development. Throat, texture: Smooth, glabrous. Throat color: Close to 22D. Tube, texture: Densely pubescent. Tube color: Close to 22D. • Calyx .—Arrangement: Five sepals fused to form a tubular calyx. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Sepal length: About 7 mm. Sepal width: About 1 mm. Sepal shape: Roughly linear; fused. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin, free part: Entire. Sepal texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Sepal texture, lower surface: Densely pubescent Sepal color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 146D occasionally slightly tinged with close to N186A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 146D occasionally slightly tinged with close to N186A. • Peduncles .—Length: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 146C. • Pedicels .—Length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: At an acute angle to the peduncle axis. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 146C. • Reproductive organs .—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four. Overall stamen length: About 1.2 cm. Filament length, free part: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Filament color: Close to 29C overlain with close to 61A. Anther shape: Cleft. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 162A. Pollen amount: Sparse. Pollen color: Close to NN155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Stigma diameter: About 0.5 mm. Stigma shape: Bifurcate. Stigma color: Close to 61A. Style length: About 1.1 cm. Style color: Close to NN155D; distally, overlain with close to 61A. Ovary color: Close to 145D. • Seeds and fruits .—To date, seed and fruit production has not been observed on plants of the new Agastache. • Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Agastache have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Agastache plants. • Garden performance: Plants of the new Agastache have exhibited good garden performance, that is, to tolerate rain, wind and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7a.