The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Trees and Shrubs => Topic started by: Fermi on January 23, 2020, 05:32:04 AM
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Couldn't really see these sorts of salvias under "Perennials" so thought I'd start a new thread.
This is Salvia apiana, the "White Sage" from California and Mexico.
It's no longer in flower as it's mid-summer now.
However I was intrigued because we saw honey-bees foraging among the seed-heads and wonder what they could be attracted to?
Any ideas?
cheers
ferm
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We've just cut down the Salvia canariensis ssp candidissima and hope it comes back!
Here's a pic of it earlier in the season
cheers
fermi
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That's spectacular Fermi - is it just one plant? ..... and can I see Sweet peas drifting through in the foreground?
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Hi Carole,
yes, it is all one plant which is why it had to be cut back hard.
That pic was taken at the end of November when the sweetpeas were in flower.
It was planted at the corner of a bed next to a path and it was overgrowing it.
MGS members who visited last year were given cuttings to try so maybe some have struck :D
cheers
fermi
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Lovely colour combination with the Sweet peas - mine self seed prolifically and since introducing them to the garden I never need to bother with sowing them. They germinate in the autumn and make plants strong enough to overwinter. In the early spring they can be transplanted with care and I even give some to friends who covet them. Climbing and scrambling around shrubby subjects such as your Salvia they give certainly add interest although I don't think our climate would support your particular example judging from it's name- canariensis........ hope it comes back for you.😊
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Hello to you all. Carole I am a bit jealous as I can not grow Sweet peas. I have been trying every year for quite a while but if they germinate the snails eat them or the cats dig them up. I have decided to admire my neighbour' s instead. Fermi , I have spend most of the sunny morning removing the pesky pes-caprae from my Salvia patch. I have been looking for the label of my Salvia canariensis ssp candidissima which I bought from Yiannis Gryllis last spring. The labels are there but the writing is gone. I shall wait their flowering, hopefully this spring.
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Hi Charithea,
A bit off topic, but I have found the only reliable way of marking labels is a 2B pencil. I have some labels that have lasted years. No matter how indelible the ink is, I have that it quite quickly fades away.
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Hi David, thanks for the advice. I have used the pencil that came with the plastic labels but perhaps it was not 2B.. The sun destroys even the plastic labels. I will have another try. I have found a sure way of labeling but it is rather expensive. I had fused glass with the name inside the two pieces. They are still around after more then 5+ years. He charged me €3 each then. A bit too expensive to label our plants. Talking about Salvia Guaranitica 'Costa Rican Blue' mine suffered badly from infestation of insects and I was forced to cut it down to the ground. I took a healthy cutting earlier and that is growing but not flowering yet. The old plant is now sprouting which makes me happy. I had great success with Salvia' Mexican Limelight' A very untidy plant but the cuttings grow better then weeds in our garden. Love and Wishes are also multiplying and Salvia' Martinus Borg' is also thriving. It took a bit of time to adjust to our hot climate but there are 4 plants in flower and some other cuttings growing.
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So pleased to hear your Salvia Costa Rican Blue has stated shooting again from the base Charithea. As I have posted recently, mine is still valiantly flowering on its lower branches and I am hoping that our mild winter continues enabling it to survive. I took some late cuttings but they don't look very happy. It really is a magnificent statement plant although I really did not put it in the best of places when given a small cutting last May never realising it would make such growth in one summer. My fascination with Salvias continues, so diverse and such worthwhile subjects.
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I find that Salvias are a joy to grow Carole. Salvia Indigo Spires, is flowering again on fresh growth and their blue colour is so vivid. Normally during the brilliant sunshine of the summer the intensity of the colour is lost. I have sown lots of Salvia seeds last autum from MGS Seed exchange , some from David D and some from others. Thank you all. The seeds sprouted quickly and I gave some to friends and also the Botanic Garden. Later some of the young plants disappeared when the summer arrived. I was disappointed and bought some more from Marathon to fill the empty spaces. Early this autumn tha plants reappeared and have grown into rather large specimens. A few have enormous leaves. Now that patch is overgrowded but I hate to pull them out. I shall wait for them to flower and then attempt to move them.
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... I don't think our climate would support your particular example judging from it's name- canariensis........ hope it comes back for you.😊
Thanks, Carole,
It has come back and is yet to get as rambunctious as it was last year!
cheers
fermi
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Fermi I took my iPad in the garden with your photo. I have been comparing the leaves of your Salvia to the one I brought from Marathon. They are they same shape , the plant is growing large but the colour is not as grey as yours. I am waiting for the flowers to see.
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My Salvia Costa Rican Blue survived a mild winter with strong new growth coming from the base. Although pleased I really felt it was in completely the wrong place in my small garden and so after consulting a Salvia expert whom I have recently got to know I carefully planned it's move. Just my luck that our temperatures suddenly plummeted but I have been protecting it with fleece and a large upturned plant pot at night and so far it seems fine - no visible bad effects. The cold spell seems to be coming to an end and a week of sunshine is promised so fingers firmly crossed.
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Hi Carole, I also have been moving a lot of Salvias about. I had put seeds down planning to pot them up for friends but we ran out of potting soil so I moved them and I shall start again next spring. Actually I would like your advice about Salvia elegans. It has grown past the two meter mark because I have never pruned it. The last 2 winters we had rain and the Salvia has grown well from the base. Should I cut the tall stems now?
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Hi Charithea, the long stems produced by my Salvia elegans are usually very sad looking by early spring and so I cut them right down to the ground where new shoots are appearing. This means it only comes into flower in the very late summer, early autumn but as many things are well past their best by then it suits me OK as the tall stems with abundant fresh green leaves make a statement of their own - plus the pineapple scent of course that I cannot help savouring by crushing some leaves whenever near it.
This year's mild winter left me in a quandary as I was loath to cut all last year's growth back and lose the brave flowers making an early appearance - hence my half and half approach. If the stems I leave don't continue to flourish I shall cut them back later.
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Okay, now for a "new" salvia - Salvia rosmarinus!
Look Familiar?
It's "Rosemary" which has been re-classified as a Salvia!!!
Here is a white flowered form we grow by the steps and the prostrate blue flowered form.
cheers
fermi
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Oh dear - whatever next - too much for my ageing grey cells to cope with!
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This is Salvia rosmarinus 'Severn Sea', one of the most vividly blue cultivars we've come across (sorry about the iffy focus - it was a bit blowy here today)
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Beautiful colour Alisdair.....will have to forgive change of name as can see.
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Salvia 'Celestial Blue' is flowering well this spring. It's growing in a raised bed along with Santolina magonica (third pic)
cheers
fermi
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Hi Fermi. Your Salvia 'Celestrial Blue' resemble my Allen Chickering which are still aestivating.
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Hi Charithea,
Someone on Instagram has pointed out that it's not 'Celestial Blue' - which should has reddish calyces! He suggested that it could be 'Pozo Blue'. I've emailed the supplier to ask his opinion but I'm not sure if he still sells it as we got it from him over a dozen years ago, I think.
cheers
fermi
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From the photos in the links it does look like it is S. "Pozzo Blue".
https://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/607--salvia-pozo-blue
https://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/744--salvia-celestial-blue
Also, given that you have had it for a while, it seems that S. "Celestial Blue" would be much taller
Being a bit of a Salvia freak (will I ever grow out of this phase?) I immediately looked up S. "Celestial Blue" and just now S. "Pozzo Blue". What is interesting is that both, but more so S. "Pozzo Blue", will tolerate some summer water.
Thanks for putting me onto these 2 lovely Salvias Fermi :-)
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Thanks, David,
I got a reply from David at Lambley Nursery. He said that he got it from a wholesaler who had it named that way. So the mistake happened further up the food chain ;D
It could simply be because they imported both and labels got switched or were supplied the wrong plant from overseas. It was a long time ago so it looks like we might be stuck with it!
cheers
fermi