Look for Salvia libanensis in the next year or so. This is the disjunct cousin of regla and sessei from the Santa Marta Mountains of Northern Colombia, a disjunct range capping the Andes and located close to the Caribbean. It is the pride of the mountains there also, with very showy red flowers.

Salvia libanensis online herbarium type sheet from the Smithsonian:
http://botany.si.edu/types/showImage.cfm?mypic=00121533.jpg

Salvia lineata did very well for Cabrillo. It isn't being tried yet at SF BG (Strybing), as far as I know. Cabrillo is more Mediterranean and San Francisco Botanical Garden more like a cloud forest.

This is reflected in the growth of Salvia oxyphora, which bloomed more in the greenhouse than in the garden. At SF BG, it is cooler, and their big plants are about to bloom and are putting out stolons.

In terms of the dispersal of S. oxyphora, young stems shatter and seem to root well when it is cold. Evidently, as growth resumes and it begins to grow, mature plants put out stolons. When it gets warmer, it blooms. Brent at UC Riverside claims to have collected seed. Someone needs to compile a more complete and verified record of this behavior and relate it to the weather patterns of its habitat. It seems to have evolved interesting coping strategies

I was told that SF BG wants to put in an Andean cloud forest section, and will be looking for more Andean sages.

Look for the hybrid of S. madrensis with gesneriflora to become available in a year or so. Right now, I want to see what it looks like in bloom.

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.

Robin.

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?

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.

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.

Cheers Annette

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.

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.