Rich:
Hope all is well after Irene.
We will look forward to some of these Salvias coming available.We set a new record in the heat wave here.
Old record 1925 was 69 days over 100 we are at 71 and still
counting. Today and tomorrow temps pushing 110 +. Have lost
quite a few salvias this year I will update you with the survivors. Some surprises!
Art

I have seen libanensis at Strybing, though not in flower. It's a large plant with nice, dark, large leaves.

I have the madrensis X ges. hybrid; it hasn't flowered yet though the plants are fairly large.

I haven't had much luck with lineata, sigh.

When does S. sessei bloom? My plants are also getting quite tall [and a bit sprawly].

Lastly, does anyone know which salvia this is? It popped up as a seedling in my old garden. It's a few feet tall, bloomed in summer/ fall, and is now setting seed.

Looks great!!! Maybe a hybrid?

Would love to try some seeds...........

Robin.

Talking about S. oxyphora: we are starting to bloom some of our seedlings, and am seeing good variation in slower color, size and density in the display. Not too much difference yet observed in growth habit. One seedling at least we will be releasing under a clonal name in 2013. There is a pic on our Facebook page.

On S. lineata: Did very well for us this year, and my hunch is the plants that are overwintering will be back stronger next year. We are more in the "Cloud Forest" category, climate wise. Grew them in full sun and wind sheltered.

The plant looks a bit like salvia caudata.

Hi Annette, I also thought S. caudata, but these flowers were a true blue, and if memory serves, caudata is more purplish. Also, the underside of the leaves on this one don't have any purple tint, like my caudata "El Cielo", which was on the other side of the yard from this seedling. This plant has virtually no scent. This photo is without flash; maybe the blue will show truer.

Robin, I'm currently collecting seeds; I don't have many because the plant had only ~ 3 inflorescences, but I will save them! It's still in a pot; I will plant it out when the danger of frost has past. I will also try to take cuttings.

p.s. In other rare salvia news, my S. sessilifolia [Madagascar] is looking really good, and I'm trying to propagate it by layering. Cuttings didn't work, but I only tried once. Does anyone know when it should bloom?

Yes, caudata is more violet/purple but there seems to be a similarity......if vague.

If you have Sessilifolia, you have one of the world's rarest and beautiful Salvias, from Madagascar, I think. (Won't ask how you obtained this.....but think I know!)

Do treasure this Salvia, try it in different locations, keep it alive! Don't know when it flowers...but speak to it, and give it lots of TLC........also try a couple in poor soil...we have to experiment!

Robin.

Robin, your guess about S. sessilifolia provenance is probably right [south of here]. I'm keeping it in a pot at this point, but will risk planting it out once I can propagate it! Here is a photo. The red salvia at left is also 'rare', called Mr. Jules from UCSC, thought to be a fulgens x holwayi hybrid. Also barely visible in the photo is another 'no ID seedling' which so far looks like a lighter/ pink holwayi?? The fun never ends. :)

voodoobrew, your S. sessilifolia's habit suggests it indeed should be hard to propagate, probably similar to S. penstemonoides. The latter can be rooted but it is very slow to do so. Does your plant like to send out only a few stems, with very little branching, like S. madrensis?

Tony Avent told me he can get good stock plants of madrensis by laying semi-mature stems on their side and covering them with some rooting medium. This will stimulate nodal shoots. You might have to fiddle with the original root ball to keep it healthy while the stems are growing out horizontally. Once well rooted, with both roots and new stems, the original stem can be cut up into smaller sections and repotted. Forcing the new stem growth from the old nodes to layer will multiply horizontal stems and provide more sprouting nodes at aor just below soil level.

The advantage here is with the multitude of stems, which will be narrower and vigorous, and thus will root more readily. I had one stock plant that did this on its own, and it threw out multitudes of narrow shoots that rooted well.

Lineata grew very well in Tony's garden, but was really late to bloom, as it was for me. He is testing stolonifera for hardiness this year. It was also very late and still hasn't bloomed yet.

Are there any salvia lineata seeds floating around?

Cheers Annette

Lineata, like a lot of other sages in North Carolina this year, did not bloom very well, so there were no chances for even hand pollination. I have a short window to pollinate some Salvias in bloom for a week or two, so I'll be trying to get some hybrids. If I'm lucky, I'll get a 1 to 5 seeds of a couple of the dozen or so attempts.

There are still a few hardy interfering bumblebees around that come out on warm days.

I'm continuing construction of a completely screened-in table for the coming spring flush of blooms.

Exciting news about new species and varieties become available, it is. (It's talk like Yoda day).

My Salvia sessei started blooming a few weeks ago. I will keep an eye out for seeds.

Did anyone follow up with a photo of this? I didn't read this thread or all of the others in detail...

I saw this at Strybing yesterday, took a picture, and just now went looking for info.

This is near the main entrance and the plant shop. Sorry the picture's not the best, but I think you get the point.

What does that tag say? From the location, I'm guessing it's Salvia libanensis. Hope they will propagate it soon!

That's an awesome looking salvia, mark4321!

It is Salvia libanensis. Sorry, I thought that was understood.

And the photo that didn't link...

Sorry for the duplication. My connection or computer is being slow and the photo didn't show at first.

I bought a rooted cutting today at the monthly Strybing sale, $25.

This is a Salvia that will soon find its way to the East Coast, Europe, Argentina, and Australia, I hope. I'm especially interested in seeing it trialled in Florida and along the Gulf and Southern Atlantic Coasts.

Darn it, I missed that sale yesterday! Had I known they were selling libanensis... ugh!

Maybe I should contact them to see if they want to trade for a sessilifolia plant?? I heard that Don Mahoney is retiring.

This post was edited by voodoobrew on Sun, Jul 14, 13 at 15:23