Salvia 'Black and Blue', any viable seed?

Has anybody ever gotten any viable seed from 'Black and Blue'? I've got a very small amount to try, wondering if anybody has had any plants from seed on this one?

I have grown out seeds from my black & blue, all of them came true to the mother plant. I gave them away, already had enough plants, just wanted to see what would happen as everyone said they would not come true. Am not getting any seed this year, have this little black bug that is eating them all them up before they turn brown.

That's a surprise, I'd heard the same, they would not come true. Thanks for your answer.

In general a lot of named cultivars won't come true from seed, but I've seen other people post saying that Black and Blue does come pretty close to true so it appears to be an exception.

I was kind of hoping it wouldn't come true, because my 'Black and Blue' have been smooching with some Salvia darcyi, and I was wishing the seed would be a natural cross, I thought that would be cool.

If you want some pollination done, you've got to do it yourself, right?

I don't think all salvias will necessarily cross with all others--if they're right next to each other and they're types that can cross with each other then you shouldn't have to help out unless you've got a shortage of pollinators in your area. I'm not sure if darcyi and guaranitica will cross though--hopefully someone else will know.

I don't really have any expectation it would take, it's just lazy wishing on my part.

As for available pollinators in the area, does a flying cat, launching herself into the salvia clump after hummingbirds, and thrashing all the plants about with great violence, count as a pollinator?

You know, I'm not sure about that! LOL I suppose maybe that would count if she stirs up the pollen though!

She was a crazed whirlwind of hunting frenzy. Except, realizing she had missed her target, she became very, very quiet, so we all could pretend this embarassment had never happened. And she stayed in the clump, not moving, quiet, for a while, as part of the I-have-not-erred ploy.

When my cat gets embarrassed about not catching something, she usually starts washing herself furiously!!!

Doubt if guaranitica and darcyi would cross! Last year got hundreds of seeds from darcyi....this year only two, so far. Bees disappeared during mid-summer, now they have returned. No hummers in England.

I love cat pride, like children furiously lying to deny guilt or blame.

Robin, do you need some S. darcyi seed?

Yes, but cats are so proud, make me die with laughter, especially the behaviour if there is an "intruder" in the garden! The NOISE!!!!

Thanks for the offer of darcyi seeds, but no thanks! It is very hardy here, but I always take cuttings....just in case.

Okey-dokey.

That was one of the reasons I gave away all the B&B from seeds, I was also wishing to get something new. So when they all came true, I was disapointed. My darcyi has never set any seeds, and the hummers do use it.

I'm must be pretty greedy, I think, 'Black and Blue' is already gorgeous and blooms forever, and even so, I want it to make some new wonder for me.

hiya guys,

From my limited experience with germinating Black and Blue from seed produced by my own plants, I've yet to have an offspring that didn't resemble the parent morphologically. Bloomwise, they are indeed a bit variable as ecrane suggested.

As for a cross with B&B, I know they only produce seed reluctantly self pollinating here. But one might have some luck planting it near another S. guaranitica with a similar bloom cycle. I've had B&B close to Argentine Skies for five years now, both have produced seed yet no crosses, or, more likely, no crosses that I can tell. I've also got it next to Purple Majesty in a different area, and nothing. Purple Majesty refuses, much like Costa Rica Blue to produce seed for us here. As well, we've yet to see seed from El Cielo Blue or Blue Ensign. Guaranitica variants seem a little recalcitrant when it comes to seed production for us. Or our pollinators are all drunk from attacking the Agava tequilana flower this year.

best to all,
don

Thanks Don, I guess the plants have their own ideas about seeds and such. Maybe they can be persuaded sometime, maybe I'll try begging, maybe I'll toss the little grey kitty back in there to thrash about some more.

my black and blue seeds and I collect them as well, it comes back every year bigger and better....

shushinggrasses Do you still have S darcyi seed? If so may I have some. Dmail me, I am also in the member pages
Thanks
Veronica

Ive got 'Black and Blue' next to 'Victoria Blue'.. has anyone ever crossed them? if so, what was the result?

Hi,
I haven't crossed Black and Blue with Victoria but I have a S. guaranitica 'Indigo' crossed with S. miniata...It is a cool little Salvia that resembles S. guaranitica but is compact and has true purple flowers as opposed to the blue-violet of S. guaranitica.

Andy:

Interesting cross. I'd expect it to be rather large and pretty floriferous. It should love hot, humid weather.

I just learned today that Betsy Clebsch and the folks from Cabrillo have given a name to the S. macrophylla x sagittata hybrid, which originated at Cabrillo and should be the same one that you have, Andy. More later, when information leaks out.

Ginny Hunt tells me that she can't do seed of sagittata and macrophylla simultaneously because they invariably cross.

Guaranitica is a polyploid species, so many of its hybrids are sterile. It crosses best with species that are ready producers of seed, like mexicana and miniata. In fact, it helps a lot if one of the parents that you want to hybridize is a good seed producer. I'd use that for the female of an attempted cross.

I'll be starting seed of three new varieties of S. guaranitica, courtesy of Rolando Uria: Los Cocos, Cosquin, and voracious wild form (I'll try to use this one for hybridization)

I hope to build a combo seed and pollen storage case for my old refrigerator. Pollen evidently can be stored just like seed and used later. I'll be making the case as air tight as possible and use regenerable silica dehydration packs to maintain a dry environment.

my black and blue as emerged again after a long winter, and the seeds I collected from it and planted has also come up. I have about 8 kinds of salvias now, one is a real pretty purple, that I have planted next to B&B.. hope I get some good seeds from that as surely they will be crossed naturally here.. I hope the omaha gold does well for me as the b&b,, all the seeds I have collected from last year have been sown or traded..
the salvia apiana (white) is pretty happy here as well as the Lady In red.. would lady in red cross with B&B?