Salvia Gallery Page 15 Salvia somalensis This is a widespread wild flower in the African State of Somalia. This is a highly aromatic sage, and will usually grow to about 3 ft. in the UK, yet it can grow up to 8 ft. in the wild. It is a most attractive salvia when in full bloom, which is from July until September. The pale lime-green foliage complements the pale blue flowers, which have white markings on the lower lip. This plant seems to be drought-tolerant, but it will not usually survive outside here in winter. Easily propagated from cuttings or from seed. Salvia "Out of the Mist" This is a bit of a mystery, but obviously a Chinese hybrid. The parents could be S. castanea, S. dolichantha, S. przewalskii, or several others! Like many hybrids, it is very floriferous during the months of June and July. It also survives well outside, and does not get bothered by wet winters as do some of its relatives. The very large flowers are white with a hint of pale blue. It was found in the UK by Margaret Mason, a nurserywoman and Salvia specialist from North Wales. She gave it the very apt name 'Out of the Mist'. It sets seed, but who knows what the result might be! Cuttings can be taken, but these are difficult to root. Salvia lanceolata An unusual species from South Africa, this is a collector's item. It is a smallish shrub with silvery-grey foliage, and it is not usually hardy in the UK. The large flowers appear in July, and the plant will flower until the end of September. The flowers are initially a creamy-yellow, and then to quote Christine Yeo, turn into a fabulous dusky pink. I cannot think of a better description. It will grow up to 2ft. with a similar width. Completely drought-tolerant, it can be propagated from seed or cuttings. Salvia barrelieri This striking salvia comes from Southern Spain and North-West Africa. It will flower from seed sown the previous year. It is perennial but often behaves like a biennial, so seed should be collected regularly. The flowering stems can be up to 6 ft. long, arising from blueish-grey basal foliage. The flowers are very large and are a good shade of sky-blue. The only disadvantage of this plant is its short flowering season, in the month of July. A sunny area is recommended, and good drainage is essential. Salvia virgata Originally obtained as S. regeliana, this is a very hardy salvia and is widespread in Mediterranean countries and the Middle East. It is similar to S. nemorosa, but is taller, up to 4ft., and has a longer flowering period from June until October. This will only be achieved by dead-heading as required. The flowers are purplish-blue on long stems. A sunny area is required. It is prolific with seeds, and flowers within a few months of seed being sown. A clump of 3 or 5 plants in a herbaceous border should give much pleasure. Salvia cyanescens I originally purchased this salvia in Holland, where it was labelled as S. microstegia. After various discussions, and identifications from experts, it seems that it is a white-flowered form of S. cyanescens, which usually has lilac/blue flowers. This comes from Turkey, and is rather attractive when in full flower, which is just for 3 or 4 weeks in early summer. Slightly prone to mildew, it should be grown in a well-drained, sunny spot, and it seems to be totally hardy. Propagation is from seed, which is plentiful. Salvia castanea From China, Tibet, and Nepal, at high altitudes, this salvia can be a challenge to grow in the UK. Although quite hardy, it will not tolerate wet roots in the winter, so I have grown it in a large pot, and kept it fairly dry in winter. New growth starts in spring, and frequent watering is essential in summer. The large flowers are a deep maroon/purple from June to late July, on stems rising to 3 ft. above the basal foliage. The best means of propagation is by seeds, which should produce flowering plants the year after they are sown. Photographed by Christian Froissart. Salvia confertiflora This is a tender species from Brazil, which is gradually becoming popular in Europe. Growing up to 5 ft. tall here, the long-flowering inflorescences have hundreds of small, bright orange, furry flowers. A sunny, well-drained area seems necessary for this plant to perform at its best. Deep watering is essential in dry periods. Flowering commences in July, and will continue until frost. Dead-heading will encourage more flowers. Propagation is from cuttings, as it does not set seed here. The only drawback with this Salvia is the foul-smelling foliage. This has been compared with the smell of aspirin, but I consider it to be much worse! A great plant, regardless! Salvia alamoensis I know there is no such plant as S. alamoensis, but this is the name of the seed I received from Mexico. It would appear to be a rather weedy annual species...though this has to be tested. At first I thought that it was Salvia reflexa, but it is not. It flowered within 8 weeks from sowing seed, and the flowers only lasted a couple of weeks. But the plant is making a lot of new growth from the base. Height of 15 inches. Hardly a star in the Salvia world, tiny flowers, but interesting nevertheless. Any thoughts as to what this might be will be greatly appreciated. Salvia styphelus Little is known about this rather lovely salvia, which comes from Bolivia or Peru, perhaps both. Here, it only grows to about 18 inches. The foliages resembles that of S. semiatrata, but the flowers are a deep blue, and quite large for such a small plant. Never many flowers at any time, they are stunning nonetheless. I have only grown this in a pot, and it seems to flourish best in a semi-shaded area. Flowers appear erratically throughout summer. It has never set seed here. As it is rather gangly, and needs support, next year I will cut it back in spring to encourage a bushier appearance. I hope this will prove successful. Salvia lyrata This has the strange common name of 'Cancer Weed', as it it has been used in the treatment of the disease. This is a rather weedy species from the Eastern states of the USA, particularly North Carolina. This salvia has become popular here in the last few years, mainly for the purple-coloured foliage. The flowers are insignificant, and the plant is cleistogamous...i.e. the flowers are hidden inside the calyx. There is a new form called 'Purple Knockout' which has deeper-coloured leaves. It is quite hardy, grows to just 1 ft., and seeds all over the place. (Picture by Yoke van der Meer.) Salvia 'Jean's Purple Passion' This is a marvellous hybrid which I believe was found as a chance seedling in the Salvia garden at Cabrillo College in California. The large flowers are a fabulous deep purple, superior to those of 'Purple Majesty' and 'Black Knight'. This is a very fast-growing plant, already 4 ft. tall from a cutting rooted 2 months ago! Although I have had one flowering stem, I guess that this will be at its best in Autumn. Unlikely to be hardy here. It is probably a cross of guaranitica x gesneriiflora, maybe even S. mexicana is involved in the parentage.

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