Salvia Gallery Page 18 Salvia roborowskii This is an annual species from China and Tibet, and neighbouring areas. An erect, small plant which will rarely exceed a height of 2 ft, considered by some to be a rather weedy species, the pale yellow flowers are worth investigation. The flowers are indeed very small, but the foliage is most attractive. This Salvia is hardy, and will seed itself around. Various shades of yellow can be observed on the flowering lips, though I would suggest that this Salvia is only for serious collectors. There are many superior Chinese species. Salvia 'Frieda Dixon' Not yet available in the UK, this is a glorious hybrid of S. elegans and a hitherto unknown other parent. This Salvia flowers from late Spring until frosts and improves throughout the Summer, when the whole plant is smothered in bloom. It is a fairly compact plant, growing in California to 5 ft. x 5 ft, and it could be an improvement to the S. elegans species. It will need regular watering during dry spells, and should prove to be quite hardy provided that it has excellent drainage in Winter. Hopefully this Salvia will be available in the UK soon. Salvia aucheri This is another Turkish species, but it has proved to be somewhat easier than others to grow in the UK. Slightly more tolerant of wet Winters than other Turkish Salvias. From basal foliage, long, leafless flowering stems will grow up to 2 ft. tall, and in late August, many lilac-coloured flowers will be produced. Not really spectacular, but close observation of the flowers will be rewarding. S. aucheri is supposed to be very hardy, but as it sets seed freely, these should be sown as a precaution just in case of waterlogging. Salvia 'Frankie Lee' Another Californian hybrid, S. apiana x S. mellifera. This caught my eye at a recent visit to the spectacular Salvia garden at Cabrillo College, in California. Even in September, this was in full bloom. The white flowers and silvery-grey foliage provided a unique pastel effect. This is a gorgeous plant, obviously requiring the conditions of other Californian sages, and therefore, unsuitable for British horticulture. Whilst I have had varying success with S. apiana here...it flowered once!...S. mellifera is quite hopeless. It grows very fast, masses of foliage, but a flower?????....Forget it! Salvia thymoides This small perennial Salvia, from the cloud forests in Mexico, could be ideal for growing in a rockery. In the UK, full sun and good drainage is essential. This is a marvellous little Salvia, with lots of small purple-blue flowers throughout the Summer months. Reputedly hardy, I have lost this plant in the last two Winters, probably because of poor drainage. So, collect the few seeds that will be available, and take cuttings. The small, greyish leaves do indeed resemble those of the herb 'Thyme', but I have not tried using them as a herb. To conclude, this is a lovely small Salvia. Salvia azurea var. grandiflora This is a herbaceous perennial from the South and Central states of the USA. It is a very variable species, with a pure white form which I have not seen. This particular form has larger flowers than the species, but the flowering period in late Summer is equally short. A lax and untidy plant, needing support, the large flowers are an amazing true pale-blue, to be admired during the short flowering-time. Full sun is needed, and with good drainage it will be hardy even in a severe freeze. Propagation can be from cuttings, or occasionally from seed here. Salvia leucantha 'Danielles Dream' A very exciting S. leucantha cultivar may soon be released. This pale pink form was discovered in South Africa, and is still being trialled and tested, and as yet is not available for purchase. First close-ups of the flowers indicate that they are a truly beautiful pale pink...but....they are rather smaller than those of the species. All the S. leucantha forms are late-flowering in the UK, most are just starting to flower, which is disadvantageous, unless a large greenhouse or conservatory is available. Salvia 'Desperado' This Californian hybrid was seen in flower in mid-September. I believe it originated at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden, in California. Also called 'White Sage', which suggests that Salvia apiana is one of the parents. The pale lilac flowers blend well with the light grey foliage. Unfortunately, this Salvia would be unlikely to perform well in the British climate, though good conditions have been artificially created at the Eden Project, where a healthy, flowering specimen could be possible. Salvia nubicola Salvia nubicola is widespread in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and neighbouring countries, in high, mountainous regions. It would seem that there are several forms of this species, and it is likely to hybridise with similar species. It is an erect plant, 3ft. x 3ft., and is Summer-flowering. The blooms are pale yellow with many red spots on the upper lip. The triangular leaves are a lime-green colour. This plant seems to thrive in partial shade or full sun, and is perfectly hardy. Propagation is usually from seed, though cuttings can be taken. It resembles Salvia glutinosa. Salvia aurita var. galpinii This Salvia is an oddity, as it is hardly like the true S. aurita (which itself is very rare, and often gets confused with S. scabra and S. repens.) From South Africa, I find this Salvia to be rather weedy and straggly. It will grow up to 3 ft. tall, and in Summer has many small white flowers, although pink and pale blue forms have been seen. It is hardy as long as it has good drainage. It sets plentiful amounts of seed. I am still tring to obtain the real S. aurita. Seed which I have been given invariably results in yet more plants of S. scabra or S. repens. Salvia serpyllifolia From Mexico, this was originally thought to be a purple form of S. microphylla. It was positively identified by Dr. James Compton a few years ago as S. serpyllifolia. Although the flowers closely resemble those of S. microphylla, it is the foliage which is distinctive, since the the small leaves are shiny. It will grow to 2 ft. x 2ft. and flowers sporadically through the Summer months. Cultural conditions are the same as those for S. microphylla. The small flowers are reddish-purple. It ocaasionally sets a few seed, but cuttings can easily be rooted. Salvia kronenburgii This is an extremely rare Salvia from the Van province in Turkey. Apart from what can be seen on the picture, which is from the following highly recommended website: www.biyolojiegitim.yyu.edu.tr I have no information about this plant. However, the large yellow bracts and white flowers are without doubt rather awesome. If it were available, it would be likely to prove difficult to grow in the UK. I have tried to find out if there is any source of seed for this species, but without any luck. Look at this Turkish site for more pictures of Turkish species.

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