Kudos™ Red Dwarf Hummingbird Mint

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Kudos™ Red Dwarf Hummingbird Mint (Agastache Kudos Red) is a perennial with dynamic, true-red blooms that ushers hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees into a garden. This attractive, low-maintenance perennial is a long-blooming and fragrant addition to any pollinator garden. Beginning in June, the Kudos Red produces sturdy yet willowy bloom spikes with dozens of trumpet-like scarlet blooms above scalloped, dark sage-green leaves. This perennial reblooms through September, especially when deadheaded. The Kudos Red grows in a compact habit, reaching a height of 10-14 inches tall and 22-28 inches wide. One of the most attractive things about the Kudos Red is the fragrance, with flowers and leaves that smell like a spicy blend of mint and licorice. These fragrant blooms hold up well as cut flowers, allowing you to bring their fragrance and beauty indoors to enjoy. In addition, Hummingbird Mint is deer resistant and drought tolerant, making it an excellent addition to a full-sun spot without much maintenance or worry. This perennial grows quickly in well-draining soil within a garden bed, as a border plant, and in containers. Kudos™ Red Dwarf Hummingbird Mint Care To plant Kudos Red, start by digging a hole in well-draining, rich soil, about twice the width and equal depth as the root ball. Once planted, water it in thoroughly and continue to water throughout the remainder of the year, allowing just the top few inches to dry before watering deeply. After a year or so, this perennial will become drought tolerant, only needing to be watered deeply in the hottest, driest parts of the year. Kudos Red will grow best and continuously bloom in full sun. Like other perennials, Kudos Red will benefit from slow-release perennial fertilizer or compost in the early spring, but will also do fine without. To improve the blooms of Hummingbird Mint, flower spikes that have finished blooming can be deadheaded to just above the leaf canopy. After the flowers have wrapped up in the fall, leave the foliage in place as the plant enters the colder months. Kudos Red is an herbaceous plant, so it will die back in the winter. In the late winter or early spring, before the plant has begun to grow again, trim down the remaining branches to half their height. Kudos™ Red Dwarf Hummingbird Mint Spacing Kudos Red is a dwarf Hummingbird Mint, growing to just over 2 feet wide when mature. For this reason, plant Kudos Red approximately 2 feet away from other plants if you wish to grow this plant solo. For mass plantings or as a border plant, Hummingbird Mint plants can be planted a bit closer together. As a dwarf perennial variety, Kudos Red grows well in large pots or containers without needing to be transplanted for a couple years at a time.