Unlike the more upright form of Salvia reptans described on page 9, this is more of a ground-covering plant. The bright blue flowers,
which resemble those of S. azurea, are a good contrast to the bright green foliage. The leaves seem to be a lighter colour than those
on the upright form. Flowers occur throughout Summer, but similar conditions to those of the upright form should be provided. Both
forms of S. reptans are excellent plants, though in the UK they may not flower as well as they do in warmer climates.
Salvia splendens 'Helen Dillon'
This is a large but compact form of S. splendens, which resembles 'Van Houttei' (page 14), but the large flowers and bracts are a
deep purple colour. The flowers are closer together than those of VH. In some ways this is preferable to 'Van Houttei' as it begins
to flower about 6 weeks earlier. It is a thirsty plant and must not be allowed to dry out. It has set a lot of seed this year, but
it is not known if these will come true. So cuttings should be over-wintered in a dry environment if possible, as none of the forms
of Salvia splendens will tolerate cool, damp conditions. An excellent Salvia for a meduim-sized container.
Salvia sessei
From Mexico, Salvia sessei has been known to grow to 15 ft. and more. But in the UK, it will rarely attain a height of more than 4 ft.
In fact it is, unfortunately, one of the most difficult Salvias to cultivate in a cool climate. Winter-flowering, it needs more heat
than is usually provided in a cool greenhouse. Large, red flower buds will form, but will often drop off. As can be seen from the
remarkable close-up photo, taken by Petra Wester, the flower-heads are outstandingly beautiful. They are complemented by the lime-green
foliage. Even when placed outside in Summer, the plant can look sickly. It requires full sun and plenty of moisture. Propagation is from
cuttings, which are notoriously difficult to root, compared with most other Salvias.
Salvia cyanicalyx
From Bolivia and Peru, this Salvia is new to the UK. A fast-growing plant, this has grown to 5 ft. x 5 ft. from a small cutting 3
months ago. Badly damaged by high winds two days ago. It started to flower in September, and is quite attractive. The small lilac-blue
flowers appear from a mass of deep purple buds. This plant is undoubtedly tender, but cuttings root very quickly, and some I took just
one month ago already have flower buds. I suspect (and hope) that this will continue to flower, indoors, for many weeks. It does appear
to be setting seed. Indications are that this Salvia might flower all year in its natural environment.
Salvia caudata 'El Cielo Blue'
New to the UK, this Salvia has been known as 'El Cielo Blue' in the USA, and has been sold here as Salvia 'Blue Sky'. It has tentatively
been identified as Salvia caudata from the Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas regions of Mexico. A late-flowering species, mine only bloomed during
the last week of October, luckily no early frosts bothered it. This is a rather superb Salvia, lovely violet-blue flowers with white
markings, and it seems to grow no higher than about 4 ft. Cuttings root very easily, and it seeds well in the USA, but a lack of
hummingbirds might prevent seed-setting here. Unlikely to be hardy.
Salvia lamiifolia
This is an extremely rare Salvia which is endemic to the island of St. Vincent in the Netherlands Antilles, in the Caribbean. I have
never seen this Salvia, and the picture was taken by Albert Perdeck in Holland. I did ask for permission to include this wonderful picture,
but my email bounced back. (If there is a problem, I will delete it from the website.) So, I am unable to suggest cultural advice for
this species! But if it is from the Caribbean, I doubt that it would tolerate cold conditions. I also suspect that the flowers might be
much smaller than suggested on the photo. I have heard that this Salvia might be available in Europe, but have also heard that it might
be something else, incorrectly named!
Salvia madrensis
American readers will no doubt wonder why I am showing another picture of S. madrensis so soon after the last one on page 17. The reason
is that this is the first year (7/8 years) that it has not been frosted! The bright, yellow flowers are magnificent. I know that this
plant will be killed after the first severe frost, even the roots will perish here, but I am just so thrilled to get this b...... to
flower at long last! The flowers are really wonderful, and though the colour yellow is not my favourite colour, this Salvia is exceptional
in its beauty. I am very interested to acquire a form with red stems, which, allegedly, flowers a month earlier than the species.
Salvia concolor
I showed a picture of my enormous S. concolor on page 3, and thought that a close-up photo of this magnificent Salvia might be
appropriate now. This Salvia seems to be totally hardy here, it grows so large that I sometimes wish it was not!!!! 10 ft. x 10 ft.
and strong winds have caused it to smash other smaller Salvias! However it is a beauty, and the lovely, hairy flowers can be seen from
the photo. Very reluctant to set seed this year, but easy to root from cuttings. Notoriously susceptible to red spider-mite, this has
not been a problem this year. (Spider-mite is already rampant on my S. dombeyi cuttings!)
Salvia 'Blue Chiquita'
This Salvia was found in Mexico, but nobody has yet identified it. S. longispicata was suggested, but this is unlikely. Whatever it is,
it is hardly a successful plant in the UK. Flowering is sporadic, best in late Summer. The small, pale blue flowers are produced on long
stems, and when in full flower, the plant is reasonably attractive. I was lucky to see a specimen of 'Blue Chiquita' about 5 ft. tall in
California which was stunning! Obviously not suitable to the UK weather. It does seem to be quite hardy here, but over-wintered cuttings
will produce earlier-flowering plants. There is also a more vigorous form with darker flowers
Salvia CDR 1438
I hate including Salvias on this website when I don't know what they are! Well, this is one of them. Collected by Dr. James Compton on one
of his trips to Mexico, we are still awaiting identification. This is a lovely plant, currently 5 ft. x 3 ft. with so many flower buds,
I feel that the foliage will disappear shortly. The flowers are a stunning mid-blue, and there are so many on a stem at the same time.
Architecturally, the form resembles S. roscida and S. myriantha, but the flowers are quite different. Close inspection of the flowers
indicates that it is likely to be a form of Salvia mexicana var. minor.
Salvia JLP 12
This pretty plant was collected in Turkey by John and Lynsey Pink a couple of years ago. It looks like a Salvia, as did my plant of
S. hydrangea, but neither are Salvias! Obviously close relations, but of a family of plants yet to be investigated. There have been
several plant-hunting tours to Turkey, but there has been an unfortunate lack of detailed conclusions. Invariably, the Turkish Salvias
are un-suited to the UK climate, and can be as difficult to grow as the Californian species.In order to get these plants to perform,
I would suggest a poor, gritty, sandy, soil, in a dry and hot environment.
Salvia subrotunda
Seeds from this remarkable Salvia were collected from the Iguassu Falls region of Brazil and Argentina. This Salvia is closely
related to S. coccinea, and it appears to be an annual species. Here it grows to 3 ft x 3 ft and flowers throughout summer. It sets
copious amounts of seed, which can be a minor nuisance. The photo is courtesy of Nancy Newfield.
