The Prospects of Agastache spp. as Multipurpose Crops: Facts and Challenges—A Review

The genus Agastache comprises aromatic and medicinal plants of increasing interest for the diversification of high-value crops. Among them, Agastache foeniculum (Pursh) Kuntze and Agastache mexicana Lint. et Epling represent two contrasting yet complementary models of multipurpose medicinal and aromatic species. This review critically compares both species with respect to taxonomy, origin, domestication, agronomic performance, phytochemical diversity, biological activities, quality standardization, safety, regulatory status, and industrial applications. Current evidence indicates that A. foeniculum is well adapted to temperate cultivation systems and represents a valuable source of essential oils and polyphenol-rich biomass, whereas A. mexicana offers considerable potential for the development of standardized nutraceutical, cosmetic, and phytopharmaceutical products. Nevertheless, the broader commercialization of both species remains constrained by pronounced chemotype variability, limited multi-site agronomic validation, insufficient clinical evidence, safety concerns associated with certain volatile constituents, and an evolving regulatory framework. The available evidence underscores the need to move beyond descriptive studies toward integrated crop development strategies that combine metabolomics-based chemotype classification, genomic and transcriptomic analyses, breeding for stable and safe phytochemical profiles, polyploidy-assisted improvement, climate-smart cultivation practices, and standardized post-harvest processing. Collectively, these approaches will facilitate the sustainable exploitation of both species and support their transition from promising medicinal and aromatic plants to commercially viable, high-value multipurpose crops for sustainable agriculture.