Salvia namaensis is a delightful species. From South Africa, it appreciates sun and warmth, and does not want to ever get waterlogged. Ideal for a scree or rockery.

A very small Salvia, with extremely aromatic foliage, and cute pale blue flowers.

Hope you will succeed with this little beauty!

How is it with sun and HEAT?

No problem!

100+ heat for weeks at a time with a 110+ possible? ⦠with humidity but not much rain but then we could get a tropical storm remnant. Tough weather for the shy retiring plant.

can only speak re a month of temps in the low 80s last year, as for 100+....cannot comment!!!

In our experience, this plant can take 100 degree plus heat in full sun with minimal water. For weeks and weeks. I took a picture of it growing in a parking lot in Carmel Valley, CA last summer during a long stretch of 105, 107, 108 degree days. It didn't skip a beat. Looks better in fact than ours in the coastal cool.

THANKS! That is what I want to hear. I did read that it liked rocky limestone soil so I improved the natural soil that came out in chunks of limestone and some brownish grey stuff (Not much) and added a 50/50 washed granite sand compost mix. I only improved it a little keeping it character but improving the fertility. I guess I will need to mulch it in winter to get through my Z8b chill.

Salvia repens x namaensis `Savana Blue' is hardy in USDA Zone 8 and has similar needs. S. repens is also hardy. The hybrid came from Andy Maycen.

I'm curious as to how hardy other South African sages are, including S. dolomitica, S. scabra, and S. dentata. I think S. chamelaeagnea can handle some frosts. S. dentata seems to have mostly survived my walk-in cold frame, which I heated only when it got below 25 F

The most it will get is a bunch of leaves and an upturned pot. It's life will be outdoors, for better or worse .

Here's a picture of mine at the end of August 2013. Thought I bought it last year, but my records show it arrived in November of 2012. My camera doesn't capture the color all that accurately--it is more blue than the shot shows. I have it planted around 30 feet from the base of an 80+ foot tall ash tree, so it receives high shade/dappled sun for part of the day in the summer, and full sun the rest of the day. Full sun all day in the winter when the ash is dormant.

S. namaensis started blooming in the spring of 2013 and bloomed steadily thru our baking summer heat (100+ days here are common). However, this is a dry heat, almost no humidity. Rainfall is low, and last year, as the drought continued, I don't think we had even 10 inches. The plant bloomed into December, and still had flowers, although fewer, throughout January and February. It required very little water, even in the heat of summer. Has stayed around 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall with a little wider spread. The foliage is very appealing to me as are the flowers. It's now a favorite and I just ordered another one.

Melissa

Same plant on December 15, 2013 being showered with falling ash leaves.

Melissa

Thanks for the photos.

I just had a very late severe 18F freeze. we dropped over 50 degrees in a day and I had forgotten to cover it. It seems to have not gotten freeze damage so far. We are just now at 39 degrees. Or it is still in shock and it hasn't decided to die yet,. I guess I will find out about it's cold hardiness today. LOL

Why did you not collect seeds??

It is a small plant and no flowers yet.

It seems to have survived the bounce to 18F un protected, tiny and unmulched. I am happy.