IMHO, I believe from personal observation that where a plant is originally grown-up can affect how well is does in your garden in your climate. I live in middle-middle California with high temps and dry air. There is a wonderful nursery in bay-side Richmond, CA called Annie's. No plant from Annie's has ever survived in either of my two yards. Annie's climate is cool and humid... not here.

Your two scions are from your yard and your climate and will probably do just fine growing where they know "the rules".

That is interesting what you say about plants grown at Annie's. I have been a sucker for them and I am hanging onto that last few ones of my third try.

I have never had luck growing S clevelandii here in Central Texas either. I have thought that the alkalinity and the dry winters (different rain pattern ) might have something to do with my lack of success. I have good drainage and some summer rain, not much.

A good nursery for hotter, drier areas is High Country Gardens out of Arizona. A least I've had really good luck with their plants.

Actually I got my S clevelandii from a local NON big box in Texas. I am not sure where the grower is but they get a lot locally. My garden is a hard place, I try to keep it fairly close to raw land and I grow mostly natives.

Have you looked at the High Country Gardens site? They have a lot a Natives that did really well in our past gardens - which were huge and rather wild. The Central Valley has a lot of Adobe soil that gets rock hard in the rainless summer. I watered the whole garden ( an acre) once a week and that seemed sufficient to keep the Natives happy.

There is also Las Pilitas Nursery. The legacy of Bert Wilson lives on, and they ship as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Las Pilitas Nursery

Interesting to hear what you say about the adobe soil. I have some adobe soils in the front of my property , but that is not where there garden is. That is Brakett soil. Limestone marl and/or caliche with 2 " of topsoil.I am not able to water this garden much at all,during the summer. We will get some rain. Maybe I will try it again and water it a bit more. I saw some at that nursery , the last time I bought dirt. How do you think it will do in an amended brought in coposty garden soil? I had it in a limestone scree before. I probably got it through the winter and then dropped the ball during the summer.

I went to Las Pilitas site and was reading about their philosophy about soils. It is such an interesting site. He has a no amend native soil philosophy. I used to do things this way but things weren't growing well so now I amend a bit with decomposed granite and a bit of compost. . Even the natives.

You might be surprised to learn that Las Pilitas purchases water-soluble 20-20-20 on a regular basis.

I prefer Tree Of Life nursery in south Orange county for CA native plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tree Of Life nursery

wantonmara i am south of houston and i'm working on not killing my 6th salvia clevelandii
all the others croaked almost immediately
this time i have that baby still on the back porch which is screened and has direct southeasterly exposure the little stinker is almost a month old and has no dead leaves -- yet it is still in the nursery pot (that's soon to be changed) i'm watering it about 3 tablespoons of water every 3rd day directly to the soil, not the leaves i'm hoping this one makes it.......

One thing I've found since moving to CA's hot, dry climate is that baby/young/small plants won't survive as is unless planted in the fall. I always let the little guys grow a good root system before planting-out. You might need to do the same.

the salvia clevelandii cuttings sat all winter in icu and were planted out in feb.(we've had a very warm winter). about 2 weeks ago they began growing and while it's too early to say they are flourishing, they are coming along.

They probably won't get too big this year, but watch out for next when they will be 4'x4' minimum. ;-) You will need to keep them watered this summer tho'.