Anyone familiar with Perilla Fantasy & Salvia Blk. & Blue?

I ordered three plants each of these two varieties from Burpee. I'm curious how well they grow. Is the Perilla Fantasy actually a coleus? Will it do well in a full sun border or does it favor part shade? Also does the Salvia Black & Blue really get 4' x 3' as the catalogue claims?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
Toni

Hi Toni,
I had some Black & Blue Salvia last year, and mine got maybe 2.5' to 3' tall. It really is a neat looking plant. I was planning on trying to overwinter it in the house, but a frost got it first. This is one plant I will be checking for at the nurseries as soon as they start getting plants in.
Deb

Toni, Perilla looks like coleus, and both are members of the labitiae family. Perilla is also a prolific self seeder and where ever it is planted for me, it returns.

momcat

It's so nice to finally see someone from Illinois! I have high hopes for the Salvia so I'm glad you were pleased with it. Have you ever gone to Pesches on River Road? I go there every year come May and I fall into a trance! Is that where you got the Salvia or did you order it also?


nathalyn

Does the Perilla get very tall? How does it do in sun? I wonder if it will self seed in my zone. My celosia always comes back and I welcome it because it makes a great filler and kicks up the flower bed with some vibrant color. My snapdragons and four o'clocks also re-seed . I'm sorry - so many questions! I just get excited when I talk flowers!

Toni

My perilla is about 3 feet. It is pretty much perennial for me here.

frogsrus

What color is your Perilla? Does it produce any kind of flower or just foliage?

Toni

Toni,
Yes, I visit Pesche's fairly often in the spring and summer it's only 5 minutes from my house, though my favorite nursery is Milaeger's in Racine. It's a little over an hour's drive, but well worth it, that's where I got the salvia last year. There are several local nurseries that my mom and I visit on a regular basis, just looking for anything new or different. Knupper's and Geimers in Palatine are nice, and so is Goebberts, I think it's in S. Barrington.
Deb

The perilla I have is redish purple about 3 ft. tall and is growing in partial shade. It is pretty but boy does it throw its little seeds everywhere and grow.

Here is a page about perilla:


http://altnature.com/gallery/perilla.htm

Thanks makshi! Lots of great info on that site. Haven't received my plants in the mail yet..... I just hope they come in one piece!

Toni

That's a great link, makshi. Last year was my first year to try perilla. I really did like it, but I haven't noticed that it has reseeded anywhere. This was on the north side of the house, but it got full sun by the time June rolled around. This pic was taken in August and I would guess the plant to be about 2'-3' tall. It got much larger by the end of Sept. I'm certainly trying it again this year. I'm just curious.....is Perilla Fantasy different than this?

Perilla Magilla

Toni: Hi - I'm new to DG. My nurseryman has a field of Perilla and he warns about it spreading. It dies off each fall and he hacks it back during the summer. It's lovely (to me but I don't have it or it's problems) in that purple thriving, lush manner it grows. We grew the Black & Blue Salvia and I'm so glad you mentioned it so I can now look for it. I loved it - so different!

Hi Pirl..welcome to DG!

Oh boy I hope I don't unleash a monster in my yard. I chose the Perilla Fantasy out of Burpees catalogue b/c it looked so colorful. Hopefully it'll be pretty enough so I won't mind any re-seeding. I'm really looking forward to the Salvia since I've heard alot of good things about it.


Brinda....Your Perilla Magilla looks like the picture in the catalogue. Supposedly it can grow to 4-5 ft.! I love color and height in my garden so maybe it'll be a good thing..... I certainly love the way your Perilla looks.

Toni

I truly believe every catalogue has to be responsible enough to list some plants as INVASIVE. The curse of that Aegopodium (Bishop's Weed, Goutweed, etc.) and the Houttaneyia (sp?) Chameleon is impressive! This is the perfect site to ask before you try something!

Hi toni....I was suprised how well this grew. The pic was taken in July and by October, this thing was huge. I think it's about 2 1/2' in the pic.....can't really remember, but judging from the bricks that should be about right. I haven't seen any hint of it reseeding so I bought another just the other day. I love it for the color it adds. I hope to have it every year.

Pirl....I have Chameleon and I really like it. It comes back every year and would be invasive but it's in a garden that it can't escape. LOL I do notice that some catalogs list it as 'spread quickly'.....maybe that should be a good hint. LOL

Brinda - you put the plant in the right place and obviously I didn't. It's spread over 100' in just a few years!!! New England Aster "spreads quickly " but not 100'. When friends ask me for some of the Chameleon I warn them, I show them what it's done and tell them they can have it but to plant it in a pot lined with cement!

I have the black and blue and would say it easily got to at least 3' high and at least 3' diameter. It's a South American variety, so I'd guess that the further south you are (mimicking an equatorial climate and longer growing season), the larger your salvia will turn out to be.