A perfect question for Dr. J. Giles Waines of University of California at Riverside, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Botanic Gardens (maybe the address has been shortened, and he has evidently not retired)

I had the privilege of visiting him on a trip to southern California. He showed me a test plot that was being run for the benefit of CALTRANS, testing Salvias for adaptation for roadside planting as an ornamental and to control erosion. Besides most of the California sages, they tried Salvia greggii.

They were testing the amount and frequency of watering needed to establish a stable planting. Intervals were at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Greggiis proved to be the easiest to establish and lasted the longest.

Here is a link that might be useful: University of California at Riverside Botanic Gardens

Thanks Richard, and that begs the next question. Which cultivars are best in the Middle Atlantic States? Currently out on the porch and in the garden are: Wild Thing, Navajo Red, Furman's Red, hybrids like Raspberry Royal, Raspberry Delight, and Maraschino, and a few seedlings of unknown value. So if I were to pick up a few more, which ones should they be?

Certainly S. microphylla San Carlos Festival (overall durability), Wild Watermelon (low growing, cold tolerant, huge pink flowers), Dieciocho de Marzo (18th of March), `La Trinidad Pink' (forms a clump from short stolons), `Orange Door' (robust, erect grower), `Red Velvet' (big bush with double-sized flowers), microphylla v. neurepia (very tough and persistent, blooms all summer through heat).

Also S. greggii alba (most cold tolerant), Plum Wine (a paler version of Raspberry Royale), `Cherry Queen' (low growing ground cover), `Big Pink' (tall, erect, large flowers)

The hybrid Cherry Chief is identical to Navajo Bright Red.

That is a valuable list, thanks. The first two microphylla I know well. They were the only two I had until a robust seedling sprang up and quickly outgrew the greggii it came up in. The flowers are almost the size of Wild Watermelon and its color is a dead-ringer for San Carlos Festival. I'll keep it around at least one more to see what it does. All the others you mention I'll be looking for. This is a good chance to show off what microphylla can do for the general public. The teacher naturalist will be painting rocks with each types name and their nectar production will make them useful in her programs. Sweet.

It is strange that I've never grown greggii alba. It has been on a short list for years, but never actually made it home. It may be that it would be the backbone of a durable hedge, since it is so cold hardy. And a stretch of Plum Wine and Big Pink would probably get everyones notice.

I'm thinking 5 foot centers along the row will eat up ground fairly fast and yet fill in nicely, and I also want to group single types together in the hedge.

The big planting day won't be until May 20th, but it seems time to acquire these new types and get them thriving on the back porch. I'll be visiting your site next to see what you have.

Ive just received these seeds that are said to be a hybrid of salvia microphylla and sal. muelleri and am not really sure how that would turn out , but I have seen photos of both strains and It looks like I will still be ok for hummer attracters.

Can you find out which microphylla it is? If the seeds are second generation (F2), there will be a lot of variability. Anyone who knows me knows I am a bugger about establishing and maintaining provenance. There is too much confusion about forms already.

All the seedlings should develop into hummer plants.

Rich it appears it is second generation, flowers will be somewhere between violet-cherry and pink.