Salvia, Autumn Sage 'Scarlet Spires'

Mine came from High Country Gardens as well. Most of the summer here in central Oklahoma, it has mainly been a vigorous, healthy foliage...Read More plant with only sporadic flowers, but now, in October, it has the WOW factor! It has exploded into bloom (I think most American salvias peak in fall in general)-- long spikes of large, coral-vermillion-red flowers and foliage that smells like that of pineapple sage. I think one of its parents is darcyi, but I can't remember whether the other one is elegans or microphylla (or both). It's definitely worth the wait. I also think it would perform best in the western half of the country, including Oklahoma and Texas, and even the Pacific NW, where I have grown MANY salvias. A vigorous, woody shrub.

I ordered this from High Country Gardens in 2007. I planted it into a plastic container that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. It ...Read Morejust bloomed October 21, 07! I love it! The Hummers had already departed before it bloomed, but I have to add that we've had a long, 'unseasonably dry and hot' Spring, Summer and Fall until several days ago when the temps started to normalize (for this time of year here) and we received some rain! I hope to get it again from HCG, give it more sun and hope for a more 'normal' Summer. Next year (if they offer it), I just might plant it in the ground and another one in a container! It's gorgeous! I took a bunch of photos on the day I first saw it bloom. I had alot of containers in 2007 and had actually forgotten about it and didn't do any pinching to make it bushier, otherwise, I would have had alot of flowers to photographed.