The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Perennials => Topic started by: pamela on October 03, 2011, 06:52:20 PM
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I have a very prolific Salvia, which I thought was S. guaranitica until two days ago at the Valencia Botanical Garden when I saw the the same plant under the name of Salvia mexicana! What is this all about? I am confused.
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Salvia guaranitica is now reckoned to be a synonym of S. coerulea.
Given that S. mexicana has only been in cultivation since around the 1970s (against centuries for the other plant), what you saw in Valencia Bot Garden is probably correctly named. Both species are pretty variable and not very dissimilar.
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Mexicana flowering season is short in both forms. Leaves are large, thick in texture, with a greyish velvety sheen. A really large plant reaching 1,70 m.
Guaranitica ranges from 40 cm. to 1,50 m forms in different shades of blue, indigo, violet, etc. This species has fleshy roots much like those of dahlias, this is very distinctive. Only Salvia patens has fat swollen roots like this but they are impossible to be taken for each other. Leaves of guaranitica are dark green, shining and fine, not thick. Flowering in guaranitica can easily last for six months with good watering.
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Thanks Alisdair and Ezeiza .....very interesting points. I now know I have S.guaranitica as mine flowers nearly all year except for July and August. It is 3 or 4 metres high. We do drip irrigate over summer as I don't think it would survive 5 months without a drop of rain. The one in the VBC looked a little less 'lush' for the want of a better word.
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Very easy to check the roots.
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I love Salvia guaranitica myself, but those darn tuberous roots are becoming the bance of my existence in my front garden. I always leave some because I love the blue summer flowers, and I always regret it when there are suddently 2 metres wide of the tubers which are so hard to pull out. I still love it though. The form here 'Black and Blue' is much better behaved for me, at least so far. :-\