Salvia Gallery Page 9 Salvia patens 'Chilcombe' Also known as 'Lavender Lady', this cultivar of the popular Mexican species, S. patens, has large lavender flowers. It has proved to be very hardy in the UK, but seeds are plentiful and nearly always come true. In colder areas, the tuberous roots can be dug up, and treated like Dahlias. Not quite such a striking colour as the species, or 'Cambridge Blue', I have found this cultivar less prone to the wilt that can occasionally affect the other forms. Salvia ionocalyx Originally thought to be a form of S. carnea, this has been tentatively identified as S. ionocalyx. A tender, winter-flowering salvia, this has a lot of deep red flowers, flushed with white. This was collected in Mexico. In its non-flowering season, i.e. summer, the plant can be placed outside, away from direct sunlight. Hot sun seems to give this salvia problems. Grown in a container, the unusual burgundy colour of the underside of the foliage can be appreciated, making this a most attractive salvia all year-round. Propagation is from seed or cuttings. I suspect that this could be a rampant grower, so I regularly prune it to encourage bushiness. Salvia leucophylla From South-West California, where it can reach massive proportions, S. leucophylla will only reach 3ft.x 2ft. here. It has numerous cultivars in the USA. Unfortunately, it is not an easy plant to get into flower in the UK, though the silvery-white foliage is very pleasant. It will not tolerate our damp winters, so two years ago, I kept it in a pot, in gritty compost, under glass, and gave it hardly any water until March. It then started a lot of new growth, and flowered well for 6 weeks in spring, with nice pink/lilac flowers in large whorls. The same treatment last winter..but no flowers! Propagation is from cuttings here. (Photo courtesy of Michael Charters.) Salvia rubiginosa This unusual salvia originates from Mexico and Guatemala. A tender, winter-flowering species, it is a good plant for a pot, and only grows to 3ft.x 2ft. Kept in a bright position in the greenhouse, purple bracts start forming in February. This is accompanied by some leaf-drop. For a month nothing seems to happen, then all at once, numerous small blue and white flowers appear from the bracts. The colour combination is very striking, and the whole plant is soon smothered in blooms. After flowering, the plant can be cut back, and left outside for the summer. Cuttings should be taken as I have not found any seed here. Salvia gesneriflora A giant amongst salvias, this can grow to 25ft. tall in the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. I have to hack it back when it reaches the roof of my 12ft. greenhouse. The plant is frost-tolerant, but it must be grown indoors in winter to prevent the buds and flowers from freezing. The large flowers are plentiful, and 2 inches long, a brilliant shade of scarlet. There are variations..one cultivar has flowers that fade to pink. 'Tequila' is an excellent form with near-black calyces. Although it takes up a lot of space, it is doubtless one of the best and easiest winter-flowering species. The word "spectacular" springs to mind. Easily renewed every year from cuttings, this salvia will require a large pot, and frequent watering when in flower. Salvia purpurea A variable salvia from Central America and Southern Mexico, this is sometimes confused with S. iodantha. The purple flowers are an unusual colour, and can be seen from December for two months. In the greenhouse, my plant has grown up to 4ft. and is a bit straggly, probably due to lack of light. It flowered poorly this winter, unlike in previous years, hence I am showing a photo by Adrian Lovatt during his recent trip to Mexico. This seems to have much larger flowers than those of my plant. Frost-tender, when in flower, it is a nice contrast to the red winter-flowering salvias. Salvia azurea Naturalised over a wide area of the South-East USA, this is a hardy perennial in Southern England. It will grow up to 5 ft. tall, but must have support as the stems have a very floppy habit. Flowering usually commences at the begimning of September, and lasts for about 1 month. The plentiful, small flowers are a delightful shade of azure blue, the lower lip having a white blotch. A sheltered, sunny area is recommended for S. azurea. Propagation is usually from cuttings, though it does sometimes set seed. Dormant in winter, it will start resprouting in March or April. Salvia haenkei A very fast-growing species from Bolivia, up to 8ft. here in one season, this salvia does need some support, as the stems are rather lax. The large red flowers appear in June, and blooming will continue until frost. The abundance of flowers makes this is great plant for the back of a border. It seems to prefer a sunny spot. I have 2 forms of S. haenkei, very similar, but one has sticky stems and foliage, the other does not. It is known to hybridise with S. orbigbaei in Bolivia. It is tender, so cuttings should be taken. I have not found seed here. It has been known to survive winter outside in central France, but not in the UK. Salvia reptans From Western Texas, Mexico, and Guatemala, this is a tuberous-rooted, somewhat sprawling salvia. It makes a good ground-cover plant. 12 inch stems with bright blue flowers appear above the mass of very narrow, dark green leaves for most of the summer. It also grows well in a container. A sunny spot is needed. It can be a bit temperamental about flowering some years, but in full bloom it is great. Some forms are more upright than others. Allegedly hardy, I have lost this salvia in some winters, probably because of waterlogging. Cuttings can be slow to root, but seed can sometimes be found. Salvia spathacea A Californian native, this can spread rapidly by underground rhizomes. 3ft. flowering stems appear above the sticky foliage at any time from late spring to mid-summer, and the deep red flowers are in whorls, like those of other Californian salvias. It is reputedly hardy to -10 degrees, but good drainage in winter is essential. I once kept this plant in a large pot over-winter in the greenhouse, where it remained evergreen, and flowering started in April. There are several forms of S. spathacea cultivated in the USA, a particularly good one is 'Kawatre'. Salvia microphylla 'Kew Red' This form of S. microphylla has been known as neurepia, grahamii, amongst other names. I have settled on 'Kew Red'. This is a particularly vigourous shrub, and if not pruned, can grow up to 6ft. Flowering starts as early as April, provided there has not been a late frost, and will continue until November. The leaves are particularly large for a microphylla, and the large flowers are bright red. Drought-tolerant, this should be propagated from cuttings, as seeds cannot be guaranteed to come true. It is best replaced every 3 or 4 years, as it gets woody and untidy. Salvia xalapensis From the same area as S. polystachya, (see page 8) I am not sure whether this is S. xalapensis or not. These species are often confused. Years ago I had what was named as S. xalapensis, and it was a rather weedy species with tiny, dull purple flowers. This photo was taken at Kingston Maurward College in Dorset. To my eye, it looked very much like S. polystachya, but this plant was altogether more compact and tidy. I doubt if the confusion with these species will be resolved in the near future. Still, any plant with bright, pale blue flowers in November is a pleasure.

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