purple plant !

whats this anybody ?

 

It looks like a Salvia (Sage) to me, ming, perhaps a Splendens 'Mystic Blue' or something? .... but I'm only just learning this plant. Perhaps PeterS will come along and identify it for you.

Oops, beat me to it, Bob ....

 

It looks like a member of the mint family, of which Salvia is a member. But it is not something that I recognise.

Where did it come from?
Is it hardy? Salvia nemerosa and Salvia superba (they are virtually identical - though there are many cultivars) are the main hardy Salvias - but it doesn't look like them.
Do the leaves smell when crushed? Mind you there are many members of the Mint family that do smell.

 

Veronica longifolia?

 

Could it be hyssop?

 

It might be Veronica, that rings a faint bell ! It came from Ebay; its purple really -the pic makes it look blue;its very def hardy cos I had it 2 years:the leaves don't smell herby or minty they just smell like chickweed ! I need to move it, is why I was asking what it is...

 

Yes I think Quercus had it with Veronica longifolia. It never occured to me as mine is over three feet tall, and yours still looks a small plant. But yours has the same long thin pointed leaves with finely serated edges.

Mine is exactly the same colour as your picture, but I am sure there is variation of colour in cultivars, if you say yours is more purple.

Each flower on mine has 4 small petals with two stamen (male organs with pads on the end) that stand out very prominently. When the flower has been pollenated the petals start to shrivel and fall off, and then the style (single female organ in the centre of the flower) stands out prominently as well - but it has no pad on the end. There now appear to be three tiny stems sticking out of the old flower.

 

It sounds like the same plant Peter. My plants don't do well because I'm high up and we get a lot of wind and cold weather. That's why I need to move this veronica plant - I failed three times with buddleia, so last summer I bought one and stuck it in a big pot with pure compost. It has done so well that I need to move it into the garden now, and its going where the veronica is now, as that bit is a wee bit mroe sheltered. Musical plants !