In addition to the Stampede Salvia greggii series from Bodger seed, Skylights is evidently a Salvia greggii series from Syngenta(?). The latter was trialled at the University of Georgia last year.

Thanks Rich! I went ahead and bought one yesterday. Patens wouldn't be hardy for me but greggii is (barely) so that's good news.
I compared the leaves to another greggii and they don't look exactly alike but it's a much closer match than patens. The leaves on Skylights Magenta seem slightly thinner and not as glossy as my other greggii. The flowers look the same I think.

Christie--- We are in the same zone and I also had the skylights magenta 2 years ago and have not seen it since. I believe I had found one at a local nursery, but not sure. Anyway I will be looking again this year for I truly loved the way it bloomed better than furmans red.

In August of '07 we had a housefire. We had to move out of course while they were remodeling and I didn't water anything for the rest of that summer or mulch that fall. My Stampede Salmon didn't come back. Eigher the Skylights Magenta or the Navajo came back but I didn't mark it so I don't know which one it was. Cherry Queen returns every year and I have at least a couple seedlings from that one that returned also even though they were small and unmulched. We had a very wet winter so I'm sure that didn't help. This winter has been dryer but now we're getting some cold nights so I hope my salvias do ok.

I got a couple pots of Black and Blue from a Master Gardener Sale here that grew really well over summer and I have high hopes for them. They were donated for the sale so someone in my area must be getting enough B&B to come back that they can give it away.

christie--- Sorry to hear about your housefire, that must have been heartbreaking for you. If it was contained to one or two rooms and you had insurance, that helps.
We are having some below zero temps last night and tonight so I dont have much hope for any of my salvia surviving even though I mulched some. My cherry chief is out in the open so its iffy. I had wintersowed some black and blue seeds outside the winter before and had several plants come out of that. But christie I recieved some guaranitica blue ensign last year and I am so pleased with it. It is just like black and blue only it has green calyxes, but it grew to 4 and 1/2 ft tall and was a hummer favorite along with agastache tutti friutti, also a first timer. So Im hoping the latter mentioned come back for me as they are partially protected by the house.

Thank you. We were lucky and lost very few things that couldn't be replaced. My house has recovered better than my garden I think. lol None of my plants outside were damaged by the fire (except the flower bed where the painter dumped his paint thinner). They were just neglected afterwards and I still haven't caught up with weeding and mulching like I should. If I come across any of the Stampede salvias or Skylights Magenta, I'd like to give them another try with mulch this time.

I haven't seen Blue Ensign. Sounds pretty. I got a start of species guaranitica in a trade from a lady that lived in Illinois who had been able to keep hers alive outside in different places in her yard successfully. I've been able to keep mine going for several years now but only had one small start left after our ice storm and late freeze in '07. I don't think there's any plant in my yard that I would hate losing more than that. It blooms so heavily and it's my hummingbirds' favorite. I know I've had some nights below zero since I planted it so they can take at least a little bit of that. Don't give up hope on yours too early. They emerge late and cause me to worry every year. I think it's usually around the end of April or maybe even early May. So far, I've never gotten B&B to come back, only the species, but I know of three people in my area that are wintering B&B over in the ground. I'm going to keep trying. I think if I can just get it through ONE winter, it will be hardier the next year.

The Black and Blue that I got at the Master Gardener sale was more vigorous than any that I've gotten at nurseries here. It was pretty big by the end of summer so I'm hoping that will help it survive the winter. If it does, and yours don't return, I'll send you a chunk of it so maybe you can have an established start by next winter.

christie--- I have not had the species guaranitica but Im guessing it is very similar to blue ensign. Im still holding on to hope that it will come back for me. Here some shots that may emphasize the size of this plant along with tutti friutti.

I chose this shot because it shows tutti fruitti and blue ensign fighting for space at 4 and 1/2ft tall dwarfing the 3ft black and blue plants behind them.

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blue ensign with hummingbird
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to me it seems the volume of blooming overwhelms the black and blue. if you look closely you can see the black and blue in the background but much smaller.

Beautiful! That's a lot of floweres for their first year. Which side of the house are your plants on? They may return for you especially if the drainage is ok there. Did you mulch?

thanks christie--- Actually they are on the northeast side of home. I mulched some but not nearly enough, so time will tell.