'BLACK & BLUE' SALVIA Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'

Characteristics  Type: Perennial  Sun: Full sun to part shade  Zone: 7 to 10  Water: Medium  Height: 2.00 to 5.00 feet  Maintenance: Low  Spread: 2.00 to 5.00 feet  Flower: Showy  Bloom Time: July to frost  Leaf: Fragrant  Bloom Description: Deep blue with black  Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds calyces  Tolerate: Deer Culture

Gorgeous cobalt blue with black blooms emerge from black whorls along the tall flower spikes, rising from the lush, green, aromatic foliage. Excellent for adding dark, dramatic contrast to any garden. Sensational season-long, heat-loving color for sunny beds and borders. An herbaceous perennial in mild winter regions; treat as an annual elsewhere. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 8-10. It should be grown in average, evenly moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It prefers organically rich loams. If grown in too much shade, plant stems tend to elongate and fall over. Plant height can be reduced by cutting back stems in late spring. Although species plants may be grown from seed started indoors before last spring frost date, this cultivar should be propagated from cuttings. Set out plants after last frost date. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage additional bloom.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Salvia guaranitica is native to Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is a tender perennial or subshrub that exhibits a bushy, somewhat open habit with upright, branching, square, dark green stems typically growing 3-5’ tall. When grown as an annual, plant height is shorter, more often in the 2.5-3’ area. Two- lipped, tubular, deep blue flowers (to 2” long) with purple-blue calyxes bloom in axillary and terminal spikes (to 10” long) from mid-summer into fall. Ovate, wrinkled, pointed, lightly-toothed, dark green leaves (2-5” long) are pale green below. Plants may grow to as much as 6’ tall in optimum conditions where winter hardy. Plants are sometimes commonly called blue anise sage or anise scented sage. When bruised, the foliage has a very mild aroma that has very little if any anise scent. ‘Black and Blue’ is a cultivar that features deep cobalt blue flowers with black calyces. Flowers appear on spikes to 15” long over a long mid-summer to fall bloom.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Susceptible to downy and powdery mildew.

Garden Uses

Beds, borders and cottage gardens. Containers. Cutting garden.