I've had this plant for over a year with hardly any blooms - then! all of a sudden this year - when we've had a lot of rain in California - wallah! It's going crazy! Thought you might enjoy! Cheers! Rusty
Salvia Deep Purple Has Really Taken Off!
Very pretty! And the good news is I think the reason you didn't have many blooms before had nothing to do with the rain--many perennials take a little time to get going so often their first year or two you won't get much of a show and then one day they take off. So I would assume as long as you keep it happy you should continue to see blooms like this even in future years if there's not as much rain.
So interesting to read! Thanks so much for the great reply! :)
Well, there are three guaranitica x gesneriflora hybrids I know of: Jean's Purple Passion, Betsy's Purple, and Purple Majesty. I am pretty sure of the parentage of the last. Is this a new one?
Rich-dufresne - If you are asking me -? I think it is indigo spires - I remember indigo on the one-gallon pot it was in when I bought it. Are you growing sage? If so, what type and what kind of luck have you had?
It is definitely not "Indigo Spires", almost certainly one of the three mentioned by Richard. Looks like 'Purple Majesty', which has a long flowering season in the right climate.....flowers all year round in Buenos Aires, but only in late fall in the UK.
I agree with Purple Majesty. Mine is not that size, but I was at Plant Depot in Capistrano yesterday and they had a gorgeous 5 gallon Majesty in flower, looked exactly like that one. I was in the Wrangler and it would not fit in...hmm. may take a run back over there today with another vehicle.....this thing with the names in salvia is so frustrating. I have one that I acquired as pulchella and by what I've read, should possibly be in part shade here and to 3' tall and two years ago I planted it in full sun and not having been cut back, is now over 6' tall. Flower and leaf do, indeed, look like pulchella.
My Purple Passion and Betsy's Purple are planted in part shade and more ranging in nature, perhaps because of that, so it's possible that given the siting that Rusty has in Redondo they might look more like the one she's pictured, but plants in Redondo can take more sunlight than mine can here.
Probably Purple Majesty. I think it had "purple" in the title (although I thought it had "indigo"- but my memory is not functioning as it once did! :) I originally bought it to attract hummingbirds - which it did so well (see photo)! The photo was when it was just in a one-gallon pot! Even then it was blooming pretty well. It's growing on the north side of my patio, it's part shade, part sun there and quite damp. It's about 3 feet tall and wide. Just amazing to see it thriving so well! It's a lovely plant! HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY EVERYONE! :) Rusty
I grow a lot of different sages, and have done so since the mid to late 70s. When I had a job as a scientist, it was a hobby. In between positions, it has helped support me.
My background is synthetic organic chemistry (flavors& fragrances, drug discovery, natural products)
The maturing new spikes of Betsy's Purple have distinct bracts, reminiscent of Salvia fulgens (cardinalis form). The flowers are a bit smaller, and the plant is not as tall, and spreads more. It may bloom earlier than Purple Majesty. Jean's Purple Passion is much harder to tell apart from Purple Majesty.
Boy, Rich, I sure do wish I had you for a neighbor! I could learn sooo much!
Thanks, Rich - Very informative and thank you so much! :) Today at the nursery I saw (and almost bought) 4" pots of a really pretty sage. All it said was "corral salvia" - it was very delicate and the prettiest pale corral color. I haven't seen this particular color before. I'm curious why the hummingbirds like sage so much? There must be a very sticky nectar inside the flowers? Cheers! Rusty
Was the coral colored one you saw one of these? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/31635/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55599/
Yes, it looked a lot like the corral nymph pictured. Thanks! I wonder if that is a fast growing sage?
Richard,
I my climate Jeans Purple Passion is a monster compared to Purple Majesty....that is how I tell them apart. JPP easily grows to 6 ft in my garden while PM stays at about 3.5.
Andy
Oh WOW!!! That is so pretty. You are so lucky to have such blooms this early. Mine still haven't sprouted from self sowing seeds yet. I'm hoping they will.
Hi Pam and Andy - Thanks for info and good luck with your plantings. Keep us posted on how things are going! Cheers! Rusty
JPP is at 6' in my garden also...in part shade, actually, quite a bit of shade. I'm going to put another one out in a spot with more sun.