I wasn't there for the spring swap so it's not from me, but could it be 'Wild Watermelon'? If you bring a branch with leaves and flowers tomorrow we can all try to ID it.

Can you post a picture of it on the Salvia forum? I haven't had an agastache or salvia by that name so I haven't a clue. I have heard that they are closely related so I can understand the mix up. Does it have a smell. I've had agastaches with a fragrance such as rootbeer or bubble gum. Shannon/Dirtrx

I don't know of a salvia cultivar called 'Pink Panther' -- sounds like a tag mix up. If the foliage resembles San Carlos Festival it must be a microphylla, or at least have some in its background. There are several cultivars in that color range, but Wild Watermelon is one that I've seen around here more than others. I brought cuttings from some of my own seedlings to last year's swap -- one has pink flowers and shows its microphylla heritage in the foliage, but I think I labeled it as a no name.

Hi Ralph,
I gave you that plant when we met at Wanda's house. I purchased it tagged as 'Pink Panther' agastache last fall and started several from cutting before it began blooming. I am with you, it is definately a salvia but I do not know which one it is. I bought it from 'Little Green Things' in Valdese/Hildebran but I doubt they would be sure either.
Hope things are going well for you, Les

Thanks, Les, for clearing up the origin of this plant. It does appear to be the same as a 'Wild Watermelon' plant that I got at Saturday's swap.

Les, after getting the 'Wild Watermelon' salvia home and holding it next to the plant that you gave me, it is obvious that they are not the same color. The leaves are the same, but the 'Wild Watermelon' flower is darker red while your plant's flower is much more pink.

Ralph, the flower color of salvias can vary with growing conditions, including temperature and how much water they're getting. Other structural characteristics of the flowers and calyces can help differentiate them, but I'm not particularly experienced in that.

I am sort of leaning toward 'San Carlos Festival'. Did you ever get a posative ID on the salvia you had labeled as 'Sky Blue' or 'Blue Sky'? Appears that it may be a S. uglinosa or bog sage.

Les, I have a San Carlos Festival growing on the east side of the house in a half day of sun. The plant that I got from you is on the west side and gets afternoon sun only. They look identical except that your plant is a paler shade of pink. Perhaps that is because of the difference in their environment as Karen suggests. The plant that we had been calling 'Sky Blue' was identified as Bog Sage after someone brought one to the spring swap, correctly labeled as Bog Sage and I was able to verify its identity by finding the Bog Sage uglinosa growing in the J C Raulston Arboretum. I have rooted cuttings of S. 'Hot Lips', S. 'Marachino,, and a tall blue variety. I have the shorter blue variety and the variegated Salvia 'Dancing Flame' which I plan to take cuttings of this week. Are you interested in any of these?