The MGS Forum

Plants for mediterranean gardens => Annuals => Topic started by: John on July 10, 2011, 11:12:05 PM

Title: Salvia viridis
Post by: John on July 10, 2011, 11:12:05 PM
In the wild I have mostly seen Salvia viridis (which used to be called Salvia horminum) with tiny bracts at the top of the stem with hardly any colour in them. However on Rhodes with the trip there by the MGS in the spring of 2006 I saw some populations with larger bracts (see 1st picture). Obviously by selection larger bracts were produced and the form usually grown in gardens has large colourful bracts. Now quite an old seed strain the Claryssa Series in blue, pink and white is a valuable annual with quite a long season due to the bracts providing the main impact and not the flowers (see last two pictures).
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: JTh on July 13, 2011, 05:02:14 PM
I have only seen S. viridis here in Halkidiki with very showy and intensely blue-coloured brackts, like the one on the photo here
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: Alisdair on July 13, 2011, 06:10:24 PM
That's a lovely plant, Jorun - and a great photo!
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: John on July 13, 2011, 10:50:32 PM
I have to say that Jorun's form is rather striking. All of those I saw on Crete were pathetic by comparison though that is obviously in horticultural terms!
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: JTh on July 14, 2011, 05:55:44 PM
I'll see if I can find some seeds, they ought to be ripe by now.
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: John on July 15, 2011, 08:48:18 AM
I presume the population with you is quite a uniform colour and habit. Were there any obvious variations?
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: JTh on July 15, 2011, 03:41:47 PM
I can't remember seeing anything but these intensely blue ones here, I would love to have them in the field around our house
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: John on July 18, 2011, 09:10:27 AM
They should be easy enough to establish. They would probably do best in a cosy spot say next to a wall or in the lee of a shrub.
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: JTh on July 20, 2011, 03:58:52 PM
I don't think they would need much protection here in Halkidiki, they grow in open areas in the field and alongside the roads. I have collected some seeds now but I am not quite sure if they are the right ones, I'll see if I can find descripription on what the plants look like when they are completely dry and finished
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: fragman on August 29, 2011, 06:39:25 PM
In Israel there are mixed flagged and non-flagged plants in the same population. It is rather common in lowlands.
We found that if sown in late August we can have it blooming alreay in late October, persisting until May. Its amazing how a 2 weeks bloomer is nature can become such an exciting ornamental.
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: MikeHardman on August 29, 2011, 09:14:13 PM
Just because I don't have anything to add,
it does not mean I don't have any appreciation!

That can pertain to many topics, and I suspect to many forum viewers.
Hesitant would-be posters: take note, summon courage, post away.
Should your post not attract any immediate replies, know that it may still have made people smile or made them think 'that's interesting'.

Nice topic. Thanks.
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: JTh on September 12, 2011, 08:56:59 PM
I collected some seeds (hard work, very few seeds) this summer, I'm going to spread them here near our house in Halkidikin now, maybe I'll see a flower or two next spring?
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: hilberry on September 13, 2011, 10:57:50 AM
Just because I don't have anything to add,
it does not mean I don't have any appreciation!

That can pertain to many topics, and I suspect to many forum viewers.
Hesitant would-be posters: take note, summon courage, post away.
Should your post not attract any immediate replies, know that it may still have made people smile or made them think 'that's interesting'.

Nice topic. Thanks.

totally agree, Mike.  I'm really enjoying browsing, lurking and learning here.  I'll post if I have anything interesting or useful to say.
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: MikeHardman on September 18, 2011, 08:35:31 AM
I note the comments on the variability of this species geographically.

If I may elaborate, from Desmond Meikle's 'Flora of Cyprus', pp.1292-1293, where he mentions Merton's comments:
"All large populations in Cyprus show wide variations in flower and bract colour, development of sterile bracts, etc."
Meikle goes on:
"In other parts of its, mostly Mediterranean, range the situation is different, particularly with regard to the development of the sterile bracts. In N.W. Africa, for instance, plants without a showy coma are much more frequent than those with, whereas in Turkey and Iran, the violet-topped form is much more common than that without a coma."
Also (I had no idea):
"S. viridis is a strikingly hygrochastic species with the strongly deflexed calyces soon raised to a horizontal position on wetting."
Title: Re: Salvia viridis
Post by: John on September 20, 2011, 11:02:52 AM
Hydrochastic, I knew there was something special about this plant. But I hadn't known that either.
I have pulled out two pictures that I took quite a few years ago on Crete.
The first shows the typical form on Crete with no bracts at all, at least in the colourful sense.
The second shows what to me was an unusual form with coloured bracts but they were predominantly pink. Though still small.