Hey Sarah, I like the color of s. penstemonoides. I've tried growing two last year, one Katrina killed and one I had over wintered in a pot finally croaked in the spring. Yours look good, must be your soil and the oyster shell you give them.

Hello,

Your pics look gorgeous.I am new to this salvia & have just started from seed. I hope it flowers for me.

Cheers Annette

Hey Helena and Annnette , This salvia's flower reminds me a little of buchananii. I don't have alot of hope for it because alot of hardy salvias to zone 6 don't make it here It's really pretty though. If you want a cutting Helena let me know I don't have much luck finding seeds though. Sarah

Thanks Sarah for the offer. The one that died from salt water I had from high country gardens too, the other was from seed, I still have seeds so I'll be trying again. Don't give up on yours, it might just surprise you and make through the winter.

Annette, hope yours flower too!

Salvia penstemonoides grows in flood plains of creeks in the Edwards Plateau in central Texas. The soil is caliche, meaning limestone with a little clay(?) I have seen it grow for quite a few years in a scree embankment at Plant Delights in Raleigh, NC, where it is in USDA zone 7b.

The oyster shells and good drainage are excellent treatments. In my experience, seed germinates fairly well, but a lot of the seedlings may damp off. Cuttings are possible, but difficult.

Thanks I will keep adding the oyster shells and gravel then

Hello again,

I did read in the salvia bible (Betsy's Clebshch) that if the humidity is high,this salvia can be grown in full sun.I have the high humidity so I will be trying in full sun.I had 7/10 seeds shoot and had no problem with damping off.I am on the way to having 7 plants:0)

Cheers Annette

I have grown S. penstemonoides fairly successfully in the UK for the last 3 years. It has never over-wintered outside, but I have taken cuttings, very slow to root, and kept them under glass. Here, it seems to like full sunshine, and a very well-drained soil, with a good weekly watering. The flowers are lovely, and they appear here in August and September. Keep and eye out for aphids which can eat destroy the flower buds.

Best regards, Robin.

I have had it for 3 winters here. flowers most of the summer. It is in a hot southern exposure.

I have been trying to find the best spot for this plant, which I finally acquired, while it's still in the pot. The leaves were burning when it was getting morning sun. I now have it in mostly shade. Can anyone advise? CA sun can't be that much hotter than in its native Texas, right?? I don't want to lose this plant... Thanks.

Tony Avent has had one growing on an embankment with drainage and some lime (it grows in caliche soils in stream flood plains on the Edwards Plateau) for over six years.

I've had have mine growing in full sun for 3 years now in what is not the best of soils. Going to try some in a different location this year, better soil, touch of shade and see how it goes.

The one of two original populations were is a draiage feature by I-10 so the bridge provided some afternoon shade
Sadly to say they no longer exist because of a flood that
wiped out about 1200 indiviual plants.I am trying to establish a newer population here in williamson co.
As well as a S. engelmanii population.
Art

This plant does really well in my Zone 4 garden in a raised bed of garden soil very heavily amended with sharp limestone sand. The bed is in full sun. I tried it as an annual started from seed for a few years and that didn't work well--the best I could do was small plants with a very late bloom. I decided a few years ago to try covering the plants with bags of leaves covered with a tarp for winter protection to see if I could get them to overwinter. The trick worked and they have come back bigger and better every year with no winter losses at all. I am also able to overwinter Salvia darcyi, greggii, and microphylla in the same manner in the same bed.

Donald

My plant must be happier now, as it's blooming for the first time, yay! It's very pretty.

Donald, are you in Red Wing?

I'd write up your technique and spread it around. I've been suggesting what I know of it to other of my respondents who want to keep temperennials going. I like the idea of the sharp limestone sand. Is this a local product?.

Yes Don, I mentioned what you were doing in a post a while back and how well it worked for me.

Well found a place for my penstemonoides to finally be
happy, I don't have to worry about limestone though.
Has anyone tried Dolomite lime? It is a natural form of limestone made into a powder. High in mangnesium also.
Art

Yes, Rich, I'm in Red Wing--ordered some plants from you this last year, and met you briefly at the Salvia Summit in California a couple of years ago. The sharp limestone sand is a local product. Here in the Upper Mississippi River Valley it crops out in the river bluffs and there are a number of quarries in the region that produce it so it is readily available.

I've publicized the overwintering method on a few forums and listservs and have mentioned it in some of the talks I give to local garden clubs and master gardener groups. It is a fairly easy method and enables one to enjoy the full potential of Salvias and other plants that aren't quite hardy here.

Donald