Salvia bowleyana (flower)

A recently introduced species from China, found south of the Yangtze river, but also at very high elevations, this would appear to be closely related to Salvia miltiorrhiza. This is a hardy species, needing good drainage. The flowers are very attractive in close-up, but the pastel colours do not make this plant stand out if integrated with other species. Salvia bowleyana has important medicinal properties, as have many of its Chinese relatives. Here it is a compact plant, 2 ft x 2ft. I expect it to set seeds....but I have other Chinese Salvias nearby, so hybrids may occur.