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A small flowered herbaceous Salvia from central America. It isn't the hardiest of the blue flowered species. I was given a small plant, it performed well in the first summer
but I wasn't expecting it to be long-lived. It wasn't. San Marcos Growers say: "Salvia urica (Blue Bush Sage) - A robust shrubby sage 4 to 6 feet tall and wide with white hairy green leaves that have a nice fragrance when bruised and dark violet-blue flowers late summer through fall until first frost. This plant inhabits a wide range from Central America north to Chiapas Mexico where it grows from 1,000 to 8,500 feet in elevation in diverse habitats. The specific epithet given to this plant in 1939 by American botanist Carl Epling (1894- 1968) comes from the Latin word meaning "caterpillar", perhaps for the shape of the flowers prior to opening." Seaflower Nursery in New Zealand say: "Smaller but exquisitely beautiful intense blue flowers, each with a flared lower lip, appear from early summer right through until winter, the colour changing from deep indigo to a lighter shade depending on the sunshine. The softly hairy leaves are tinted gold when they first emerge in spring from their winter dormancy, creating a fabulous contrast before changing slowly to mid green. Hardy to light frosts although mine survives quite happily below ground in heavy frost. Prefers a half day of sun with added compost or leafy mulch in the heat of summer. Flowering size 80-100cm high and wide (it can be fast growing and will achieve this size by summer)." Not all growers agree with the "nice fragrance" and it is interesting that the enthusiastic comment is coming from warm Mediterranean climates, not from the UK. |
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| 11th July 2014 | ||