Agastache scrophulariifolia

(Willd.) Kuntze

Purple Giant-hyssop

G4Apparently Secure Found in 9 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Medium - lowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.136311
Element CodePDLAM030E0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderLamiales
FamilyLamiaceae
GenusAgastache
Synonyms
Agastache scrophulariaefolia(Willd.) O. Ktze.
Other Common Names
Agastache à feuilles de scrofulaire (FR) purple giant hyssop (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-05-31
Change Date1984-11-05
Edition Date2024-05-31
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024)
Threat ImpactMedium - low
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Purple giant-hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia) occurs in eastern North America in the United States and southeastern Canada, from Minnesota and eastern Kansas to southern Ontario, New York and southern New England, and south in the Southern Appalachian Mountains to Georgia. It is estimated that there are over 300 occurrences rangewide, including on the Chattahoochee, Cherokee, George Washington, and Monongahela National Forests, Shenandoah National Park, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and on various state wildlife management areas, State Parks, and State Forests. Threats to this species include the loss of high quality forested habitat and conversion of natural forests to commercial forests.
Range Extent Comments
Purple giant-hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia) occurs in eastern North America in the United States and southeastern Canada, from Minnesota and eastern Kansas to southern Ontario, New York and southern New England, south in the Southern Appalachian Mountains to Georgia. Range extent was estimated to be 1,431,000 square kilometers, using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Loss of high quality forested habitat and conversion of natural forests to commercial forests are threats to this species of limited distribution, which is imperiled in many states without secure populations (including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maryland and Nebraska) (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Purple giant-hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia) occurs in rich forests and woodlands, and in bottomlands, at elevations of 25 - 1680 meters (SEINet 2024, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).

Reproduction

In the southern part of its range, flowers from July to September and fruits from September to October (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodWoodland - Hardwood
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN1
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS1Yes
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS3Yes
NebraskaS1Yes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
KentuckyS1Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
New JerseyS1Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
VermontSHYes
District of ColumbiaSXYes
GeorgiaS1Yes
MassachusettsS1Yes
MissouriS1Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
OhioS2Yes
West VirginiaS2Yes
IndianaS4Yes
South CarolinaSHYes
IowaS4Yes
TennesseeS1Yes
MarylandS1Yes
DelawareSHYes
ConnecticutS1Yes
South DakotaS2Yes
New YorkS4Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useRestricted (11-30%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingRestricted (11-30%)Serious - moderateHigh (continuing)

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (9)
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Middle Prong AdditionPisgah National Forest1,852
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Little AlleghanyGeorge Washington National Forest10,215
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
References (7)
  1. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  2. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  4. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  5. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.