S. involucrata
- To: a*@seanet.com, m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: S. involucrata
- From: P* H* <p*@nevco.k12.ca.us>
- Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 21:06:58 -0800
I believe Salvia involucrata is native to Central or South America, but
I'll double check in Betsy Clebsch's "A Book of Salvias" (1997, Timber
Press). In the book, she has an index of plants by flower color. I think
there are cultivars of Salvia superba ("Rose Queen"?) and some other
common salvias that are magenta, but mail order may be the quickest way
to get them in your garden. Also, the wonderful, popular
biennal/short-lived perennial Saliva sclarea (Clary sage) has some forms
that are darker pink or pinkish-purple. Mine are more lavendar or pale
pink. S. sclarea, by the way, is a great back-of-the-border plant for a
gray or silver border (mix in behind Lychnis coronaria).
S. involucrata is rated to Sunset Zone 8, but it survived the big freeze
here, as did a few other Zone 8 salvias and Medit plants.
Paul Harrar
Nevada City, CA
Sunset Zone 7
2,700 feet
