Salvias

Thanks Kedi. Yes, the main view of Salvias is of the fiery red variety. But they do come in quite a few other colours, including yellow. pink and white.

'Black and Blue' is a Salvia guaranitica. The name comes from the blue flowers and the black sepals at the base. There is another Guaranitica variety called 'Blue Ensign' which has the same blue flowers but green sepals. Its perennial and, as it comes from Brazil, I think it should like the Florida climate more than the North Yorkshire climate! Being relatively drought tolerant, all Salvias like good drainage in winter.

 

Lovely looking plants there Peter. They remind me a bit of Penstemon for some reason. I have one Salvia, I think...I bought it labelled as "Pineapple Sage" and when you crush the leaves they really do smell of pineapple. It blooms with sprays of scarlet red flowers about now, but last year the frosts came early and hit it about a week before the flowers appeared :( With the harsh winter, the large bush I had died completely, but I took cuttings and was able to start under clump!

I am now watching nervously for the first heavy frost here as the buds are about to open, even though I've taken more cuttings. I've planted it in a drier, more shelter location this year so maybe it'll survive...

 

Thanks SussexG. I have a "pineapple sage" (Salvia elegans), but I am two minds about it. Its a lovely foliage plant, especially with the smell. But as a flowering plant it is a bit of a failure. I have had mine for 2 or 3 years and it has never flowered yet. Though I do see, this year, it has flower buds on it.

Its really a winter flowering plant, and in a heated greenhouse it can flower from now till April or later. But it isn't very hardy. I did see one American site that said hardy to -10C, but I recon that -3C would be closer to the mark. I wouldn't dare leave mine outside, it will be put under cover - but the last couple of years it didn't have enough light or heat to flower. I am going to bring mine inside the house (its in a big pot) and hopefully get some flowers this year. There are quite a few Salvias that will flower outside all summer, and then if you bring them into the house they will continue to flower for several more weeks or even months.

 

I know Peter, the cuttings I took last autumn bloomed all winter. I planted them out in spring and it's now nearly 6 foot tall, has survived an Ipomaea scrambling through it (now removed) and it's showing flower buds that open a little more each day. Still no heavy frosts here (and it's getting warm again) so I have fingers crossed I'll get a show this year.

I'm leaving it in situ and hoping for a milder winter than last year. But I still have the cuttings (which have rooted and are thriving a week after taking them).

Can you give me a few examples of summer flowering Salvias? I'd love to try a couple next year - your pics make them look fabulous.

 

Aaron - give me a few days and I will see if I can sort out some seeds. All the ones that I grow are summer flowering ones - I don't have the interest or the facilities for winter flowering ones. Most Salvias grow easily from seed, but I haven't gathered much as many of my plants are perennial and just keep going, and I take cuttings of the others. The other thing is that many of the Salvias are still flowering - but they should produce seed eventually.

The silly thing is that I have several batches of cuttings on the go at the moment, and they would just suit you if you were able to overwinter cuttings, which appears to be so. The problem is this wretched mail strike. Seeds don't mind how long they are in the post, but cuttings will die if they don't have any light for more than 3 or 4 days.

If I had to chose just two, I would select Salvia 'Mystic Spires'



It flowers for a very long time. This year it started in mid June and is still in flower now. Its very upright, it never flops, and a group of several plants look really good. Unfortunately its a sterile hybrid so it doesn't produce seed. For the last three years I have seen it sold as a plug in garden centres in early spring along with the Petunias, Fuchsia and Geraniums etc, which is where mine came from. There will be no problem in getting a cutting to you - but for this strike.

The second choice would be Salvia microphylla (Tangerine Sage)



This is really a small shrub, which is reasonably hardy. It can grow to 3' by 3' or larger. I have had this one for about 6 years, and not bothered to take any seed. But I will have a look. It started to flower at the beginning of June and is still in flower now. Flowering for 5 or 6 months is normal.

And there are plenty of others - I will see what I can sort out.

 

Peter, that blue Mystic Spires is truly beautiful. If they do well from seeds, I would love some, thank you very much I have just the place for it go as well - where the wallflowers currently are now!

I don't really have the room either for overwintering either - my windowsills are already full of other things I have to overwinter...including the Pineapple Sage cuttings!! But...I suppose another pot of cuttings wouldn't take up much more room. Could they keep until the postal strike gets sorted out?

 

'Mystic Spires' is sterile so unfortunately won't come from seed, but I will organise some other seeds first, and it is probably better to forget cuttings now. Because I have a light box, my cuttings grow pretty fast and will soon get too big to send. But cuttings can be taken in the spring, which would be better overall.