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Salvia fulgens flowering

>From: Mary Engle <engle@dla.ucop.edu>
>Subject: Question about Salvia fulgans
>Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 15:59:47 -0700 (PDT)
>
> Sean,
>
> I have S. fungans that is ~ 4 feet high (young plant). It tends to produce
> bigger and bigger leaves and more of them, but no flowers.  I assume this
> is due to the way I'm growing it.  I am not giving it an overly abundant
> amt of water.  The soil is pretty good and it's in blasting sun, which the
> leaves and growth seem to indicate that it likes.  Any ideas?
>
> PS. It is sitting next to the Brugmansia that you have me which is just
> sitting there in full sun, also not producing flowers.  Hard to imagine
> that it is getting too much water.  What else could divert it from flower
> production in summer sun?
>
> Mary Engle

Mary (& Medit-Plants folk) -

Salvia fulgens requires a long period of summer heat in order to
flower well, so at this time, it should be taking in the heat in
preparation.  My own bush (perhaps where you got yours?) is all
green, and has long since dispensed with even the occasional
isolated spike of flowers.  It should be flowering very heavily in
late fall, and through the Christmas season (I always associate
these flowers with that time of year now).  Keep your plant well
watered during the heat of summer (though it will tolerate some
dryness in between deep watering).  Also, make sure your plant is in
good shape to support a heavy crop of red flowers.  I had cut my own
plant back very heavily earlier this year, and its relatively
compact (at 5ft) still.

When Betsy's 'A Book of Salvias' came out earlier this year, I
thought perhaps my plant was in fact S. gesneraeflora - there is a
photo which very closely matches the appearance of my flowers.  But
in re-reading her descriptions just now, I feel that I have it
right.  While very similar, S. gesneraeflora would seem to have much
longer flower spikes (8-12in) than S. fulgens (4in).  They do bloom
at the same time though, so confusion is perhaps common.  I'm basing
my ID on her descriptions rather than the vagarities of photos.

Also, it is not uncommon for Brugmansias to spend time 'bulking up'
before flowering, and this species (B. candida) tends to flower in
the cooler weather.

 Sean A. O'Hara                     sean.ohara@ucop.edu
 710 Jean Street                    http://www.dla.ucop.edu/sao
 Oakland, California  94610-1459    h o r t u l u s   a p t u s
 (510) 987-0577                     'a garden suited to its purpose'
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