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wardw_gw

Purple Majesty

wardw
18 years ago

So how hardy is this salvia. Has anyone overwintered it in the mid Atlantic region, say zone 6 or 7. They showed up at a sale table over the weekend, and since the price was right I bought five. Secondly, is it really a guarantica? The tage listed it as such, but I recall somewhere else seeing it just listed under its name, indicating it may be a hybrid.

Comments (5)

  • sarahbn
    18 years ago

    It's a hybrid between guarantica and gesneraeflora so I don't think it's as hardy as regular guaranitica. It gets taller than the regular guaranitica and it has never wintered over for me but neither has any guaranitica. The hummers love it. Sarah

  • wardw
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks Sara. I sure hope these plants bloom before frost and I guess this means if we like it, there's yet another overwintering cutting. Things are really getting out of hand here - anyone have some greenhouse space?

  • brenda_near_eno
    18 years ago

    Mine died in Zone 7, and another member, Karen_W in Zone 7 also says it is not hardy.

  • gardningfool
    18 years ago

    I have grown it for years now. The first year I had it, I lost it. I made the mistake of cutting it back in the fall. I mulch heavily right before frost and so far it has come back every year for the past 7 years. The color is great but the stems are a bit on the fragile side and it flops easily. I always take one pot into the greenhouse before frost "just in case." Trina

  • wardw
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks Trina. That makes me think I should take a cutting now, rather than wait until September. I've been using your general NO-CUT rule for Black & Blue for years, and so far so good. The only difference in your method is the heavy mulch before frost - I've always waited until after. You given me something to consider.