Covenant's Color Garden: Salvias
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All but one salvia are looking unhappy in their pots, but will most likely change their attitudes once they’re in the ground. As a group, salvias are a big draw for pollinators including hummingbirds. Their leaves typically have a pungent smell, while the flowers don’t. Many of them are also drought tolerant once they’re established in a garden. Want to learn more? www.worldofsalvias.com/

Salvia ‘Amistad’

Also known as Friendship Sage, this is a big one with brilliant purple, tubular flowers.  It can grow to an unruly 5’ X 5’ or more. A hard pruning after the last frost keeps it bushy.

Salvia ‘Black and Blue’

A more manageable 3’ X 3’ in size, the cobalt blue blooms on this salvia are held by black calyxes. There is a clump in the current color garden—a transplant from a property that flooded three times. A true survivor. 

Salvia greggii ‘Radio Red’ 

It’s known by many names including Autumn sage, Texas sage, and Gregg Salvia. It produces intensely red tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and long-tongued bees. It forms a pleasing mounding shrub of about 3’ X 3’ that benefits from the occasional trim. Salvia greggii come in a variety of colors. Native.

The species name “greggii” is in honor of Josiah Gregg (1806-1850), a Tennessean who traveled through Texas and took note of its geology, trees, prevalent attitudes, and politics. From his travel notes, he published “Commerce of the Prairies”, which came out in two volumes in 1844. The American Botanical Society added the Latin name “greggii” in his honor to twenty-three species of plants. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)

Salvia ‘May Night’

This is a low-growing salvia with tall purple flower spikes. It requires more hand grooming than others, but what a show it put on this spring when surrounding plants were just coming back from the freezes! Bees are especially fond of this salvia.​
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