Mexican bush sage salvia leucantha hardy?

14 years ago

Has anyone in zone 7 had Mexican bush sage salvia leucantha survive the winter? Esp. the Santa Barbara cultivar?

I haven't had any luck but wondered if others have. I'm in zone 7A which might make a difference vs. 7B.

If it has survived for you, any special treatment?

Thanks, squirrelspur

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Comments (10)

mrsboomernc
14 years ago
It is not hardy in my 7a garden, sadly.
I love this plant!
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spazzycat_1
14 years ago
S. 'Santa Barbara' has been hardy for me for many years (just west of Chapel Hill/Carrboro). I was surprised, but it even came back this Spring after the severe winter we had. Mine is planted in full sun in well-drained soil by a stone patio where it gets reflective solar heat. I do not cut down the stems until Spring and new growth usually doesn't emerge until mid-May.
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Should be fine. I've abused many a root section of S. leucantha and still had them prosper after transplanting. It's like gaura or other sages or mints that spread by stolons as well as seed, those rhizomes are almost like bulbs in their ability to send out new roots and shoots. I once divided a huge S. leucantha into 20 one gallon pots, or so, saved me lots of cash that Christmas.
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In years when I grow it I usually leave it in a large pot. The first freeze here in southern New Jersey can occur any time from late September which is about the same time leucantha starts to flower. By dragging them into the garage on evenings when a freeze is predicted I can usually extend the bloom well into December. It is a pain but worth the effort. It roots from cuttings very easily which can then be stored inside. August would be a good time to take the cuttings. You also might want to try Waverly which appears to be part leucantha. It blooms by late summer or even earlier.
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If that is Salvia leucantha, Mexican bush sage, it does very well in clay soils. It may die back to the soil, but should come back in Spring unless it was exceptionally cold. I prefer the S. leucantha "midnight" which is an all-purple flower stem. I don't know your zone well enough to suggest companions - in CA, poppies, primrose, verbena and other sages look good with it. I have it next in front of Tagetes lemonnii (lemon marigold bush) and the purple and gold look great together.
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i have 2 salvia leucanthas-the first one i put in last fall and thought it wasn't going to show this spring but it came up quite late and with a vengeance! by then tho i'd replaced it (planted the new one next to it (thankfully) and before long both were huge-they are nearly 6 feet tall and about 6 feet across counting both of them. interestingly, the year old one has purple blooms with purple flowerlets and the new one has purple blooms with white flowers and they are spectacular together. both plants were labeled the same. somewhere i read that they are semi-evergreen but my first one wasn't. great plant tho-oh, btw, no mulch was ever applied to it and won't be this year either. i got mine (both of them) at unique greenhouse in gordonsville. hummingbirds love it too.
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aezarien
14 years ago
No luck here either. The cuttings were fairly easy to root though!

-Tina
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zigzag
14 years ago
Sorry, no luck here either. Not sure what variety I had as it was a 'passalong', but it was soooo nice while it lasted. :o(
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pfmastin
14 years ago
It's hardy for me in 7b...Greenville.
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gusolie
14 years ago
West of Charlotte it is hardy; it's cold hardy to about 0, but resents wet winter soils and do NOT trim away the frost-killed stems until early spring. This dried material provides crown protection for the roots, especially needed int he freeze/thaw and chillier areas of zone 7a.

And yes, 'Santa Barbara' seems to be superbly hardy, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Salvia leucantha
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squirrelspur
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks all. Last year it got to 4F at my house and it killed my species plant. If Santa Barbara is hardier than the species, maybe I will give it a try in a good site...and take cuttings.
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dottie_in_charlotte
14 years ago
my Mexican bush sage didn't come back after the first year despite not trimming it. Just as well in my opinion because while the plant bloomed like crazy I couldn't stand the smell/stink/odor. Not nice enough to qualify as 'fragrant'.
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gusolie
14 years ago
Another tidbit I failed to mention about Mexican sage in the northern reaches of its winter hardiness is to plant in early in teh growing season so that it can have as much time to establish itself beyond that container rootball before its first winter. This is particularly true with heavy clay soil since container peat media and mixtures thereof do not readily "mesh" with the compact, fine particles of clay in the planting hole as nicely as a loam or amended sand.
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stacette
14 years ago
Out of 3-4 planted last year only one has come back and I agree with gusolie that it is because it became well established before it got cold. We should talk to greenhouses about selling them early vs late so that they can establish themselves you don't see these for sale UNTIL they are blooming. If I am not mistaken I bought the one that made early ....
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Mexican bush sage salvia leucantha hardy?

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mrsboomernc

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Mexican bush sage salvia leucantha hardy?

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