My salvias eventually flop also (May Night and Caradonna.) However, they usually flop after the blossoms have "gone by" so I cut them back significantly (6-8") and then they regrow and reblossom later in the summer (usually with less blooms)... It's worth it for me to keep them for their late spring/early summer show.

You may want to try some veronica spicata's, although mine is just starting to bloom...

Lois

It sounds like you want purple blooms and not purple foliage?

You'll have to check the zones on these suggestions since I'm in z7.

Tall garden phlox - my 'Robert Poore' stays upright and is a deep pink/purple

Agastache 'Golden Jubilee' was light green foliage and purple blooms.

Agastache 'Purple Haze' can go anywhere from 2 feet to 4+ feet, but in your zone, I'll bet it won't hit 4+.

Verbena bonariensis (self-sowing annual in colder zones) is over 4 feet in my garden and blooms all summer. It stays upright unless the goldfinches break a stem.

If you can use blue in your garden, I just posted photos on my blog of some summer blooming. The Rose of Sharon is actually a woody ornamental, but the Blue Satin blooms are gorgeous and there are SO MANY on the plant. It can grow up to a small tree size, but you can prune up the trunk and plant underneath it.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: blue blooms

I usually have a small patch of Mealy-Cup Sage, which is another form of salvia. It doesn't flop. Sorry, have never gotten a pic of it. I buy the seeds from Martha Stewart brand (Kmart), but likely you can get them elsewhere.

Also in the purple category is liatris- there are several sizes available.

I have the Agastache/Hyssop. It's nice, but not for my garden spaces. I use it only on the outskirts where we don't mow. Birds like it.

Monarda- Marshall's delight has a lovely mix of purples, lavenders, and pinks in it.

Got dry areas? Perhaps a Russian Sage would do the trick for you.

Oh, one other thought before I leave...it may or may not apply: I've heard that sometimes a particularly rich soil might cause some plants to flop.

I tried Russian sage this year and love it. I'm in Nova Scotia Zone 5. It's smell is amazing.

Russian Sage, Height is 24"-36".
Hardness to zone 5.

Although I have to say that I think the Robert Poore Phlox is going on my wish list. What a beautiful plant. I checked "Dave's Garden plant search" Robert Poore Phlox, hardness is to zone 2b. If I can find it, I'm going to buy it!!!

Thanks,
Carrie B.

if I'm not mistaken, you can divide salvia so that the plant is more compact and may not flop in the middle. My mom did this last year in the spring and her plants didn't flop after they bloomed and they still looked nice this year.

thanks for the replies! on the "got purple" post, there's a pic of what i had in mind. Can anyone identify this plant?
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cottage/msg071003303488.html?18

thanks again~

I'm not sure if this is it because I couldn't follow the link. But I think this is the one you have in mind.

Spiked Speedwell 'Royal Candles'
Mine is just a baby I bought about a month ago.

strangely my salvias don't do this. I have both midnight blue and cardona. Perhaps this is because I tend to plant them tight and therefore they kind of keep each other propped up. And yes to teh question about division. In fact, it's almost too easy to divide them. I've been trying to remove a salvia completely from one site and each time another new plant will grow in it's original site. From one plant I have managed to get 5 new ones unintentionally LOL.

I might suggest butterfly bush but this can grow to 6 feet if you don't prune them back hard every spring.

Some larkspurs will grow upright without much propping.
I like veronicas too but they will flop.

There are some short lavenders like hidcote that are dark purple in blooms and unflopping qualities.

My favorite unflopping plant is called a veronicastrum, but it's far from being a purple plant. I have one that's seems to both pink and blue, almost like sparkling cool twilight.. Pretty neat.

My May Night has never flopped but it's planted in clay.

Catmint is a blueish-purple and doesn't flop. There are a lot of gorgeous deep purple Siberian iris.

I wouldn't characterize Pobert Poore as purple. It's a screamingly loud pink. Mine can be seen for blocks.

I've had May Night for a few years now. My plants are HUGE and they haven't flopped yet. I've read that the trick is to NOT fertilize. I give them a solid watering about once per week and let them dry out between. I transplanted one and noticed how DEEP the roots get so they can go a while without watering. Then, as others have posted; cut the blooms back after it has finished. I have gone through two nice blooms now and just cut back the 2nd. I would anticipate another flush in a couple weeks.
Otherwise, my only other purple upright plant is as aster (Farmington?) that doesn't bloom till mid August. In other years; I've suffered with mildew on it; but this year has been better with less water; and water on the ground instead of the plant.
Good Luck!

I am saving this thread because there are so many good suggestions for blue plants. It was also great that everyone added their experiences with the named plants. This is very helpful. Thank you so much. :-)

Raptor do send a photo of your plant. I am curious of what kind of salvia it is. Yesterday I looked at my plants (midnight & cardona) once again and the stems are of the sturdy form, hence won't flop but if something slept on them, they'd probably snap.

I have the whorly kind too which does flops.

Silly question but how do i post a pic to this post? I have an album but don't know how to insert here.
I will look into all the suggestions! The Spiked Speedwell looks good so far...

Look over in the Gallery. There is a thread there from Memo explaining how to post a picture.

Good luck.

BTW, that picture in the 4th photo, I think, is one of the perennials salvias.

As far as darker colors, my Purple Dome asters at the old house were pretty compact and didn't flop - but don't bloom until late summer. I wasn't impressed with the foliage, for a front of the bed plant, but it would probably be great behind something short like dianthus. I have salvia May Night, and it hasn't flopped at all - it happens to be behind some dianthus, actually. I don't know if the dianthus is propping it up at all, but it doesn't seem like it would be flopping otherwise.

you can see the spreading at the base. The rose was planted long after the flopping started so it's not the cause(it's beside the plant not in the middle as it may appear) The 2nd pic is before the flop! I wish it would stay this way...can anyone identify it?

Raptorfan - I think you're pointing to the one in my photo (4th one from the left) - it's called East Friesland Sage

Here is a link that might be useful: East Friesland Sage

That's not too common up here in Ontario. What a pretty plant! It does look like it has thin and pliable stems which is causing the flopping problem. My thoughts are why not plant a couple of midnight blue sages besides it. One it will provide a nice contrast of 2 different colours and second, the midnight blue which is about similar in height, would provide the support to prop it up.

Hi fan, I have several salvia that never flop, May Night is one, but I like the darker purple taller more compact form of another's very thing spikey blooms. Wouldn't you know the tag disappeared.
My tall veronica alway flops, I have to grow it behind a little fence that it covers, or it falls on the pation.
gramma jan

thanks everyone! appreciate all the input. I will definitely consider going the dark sage route along with it to prop it up.