skip to main content

Questions About Salvia Greggii

alameda/zone 8/East Texas

10 years ago

I have not grown this salvia before - just bought 2 each of the purple, the coral, a pink and a yellow. I was just reading that they can tend to get leggy and woody. I plan to plant them in beds in full sun with other plants [roses, daylilies, annuals]. Would they work there? I would like to keep them about 12-24" tall and like the fresh green growth they are exhibiting now. Can I accomplish that by keeping them cut back? Do they bloom all season? What fertilizer, if any, do they need? Thanks for any advice!

Judith

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

rich_dufresne
10 years ago
You will need to know which varieties they are, because there is a lot of variability in size, habit, tolerance of soil types, drought, and humidity.

Some selections do well in cooler climates and are more hardy, while others need cooler nights, since they are adapted to higher altitudes. The latter include most of the orangey to yellow forms, which are taxonomically considered x jamensis, or greggii x microphylla hybrids. They are generally marketed as greggiis or without species names

Who knows what the big breeders are doing? The Heatwave series is from Australia, so their properties are probably optimized for southeastern Oz.

Some of the forms get quite large and leggy in the southeastern US..

Also, they are likely to be 2 to 3.5 feet tall in size for the most part. Breeders strive for marketable plans for the southwestern part of the US. Compactness is hard to achieve.

The most durable and small greggii forms I know are Furman's Red, Pink Preference, Dwarf Pink (can't find it so far), and Texas Wedding, which is the varietal name for the alba (white) form.

Are you located in northeastern or southeastern Texas? If you are east of Dallas, you are in good shape. If you are near Houston, decisions will be more critical, since you have hot, humid mights

If you have heavy soils, you may need to have raised beds for drainage.. Builder's (Washed) sand is advised as the main component.
0
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
Original Author
10 years ago
What I have is salvia x jamensis Golden Girl, salvia greggii "Pink", "Violet" and "Coral".

I am 2 hours NE of Houston in east Texas. I thought of putting them in the raised beds I have for my roses and daylilies - excellent soil and I keep them watered, and they are in full sun.

I use a lot of lavender colors in my beds and particularly like the Violet salvia - really hope to succeed with this one. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Judith
0
Related Discussions
How do I make cuttings of salvia greggii?
Q
Comments (6)
The simplest method is to take cuttings down to green wood, not tip growth with weak stems, or stems with bark forming. I use the "asparagus" method to determine the point to cut the stem. If you grasp the stem below the point where bark forms, then bend the top back, you should see the area where the tip growth stops being supple and stiffens. This is the area where you make the cut. The bottom third of the cutting will have its leaves stripped off. It is good to have a node or two under the rooting medium, since side shoots will start from these points and allow the plant to form secondary leader stems. If the plant gets sheared at ground level, it will have a much better chance to send out new growth. The stock plant should be in a rapid growth stage for optimal cuttings. If it is dormant, the cuttings will take forever to root and be weak. Use a sterile medium like vermiculite or perlite, definitely not water or soil as the rooting medium. Bottom heat at 70 to 80 degrees will speed the rooting. I don't use rooting hormone any more, but fungicide might still be useful, especially if the rooting medium is cold and wet. It usually takes 2 weeks or more for cuttings to root, and another 2-3 weeks for the plant to develop a good root system.
...See More
Love the salvia greggii: more choices?
Q
Comments (3)
Cameron, Richard DuFresne usually comes to the Herb Festival at Duke Homestead in Durham, which is coming up this Saturday. It's a good time to stock up on a variety of greggiis, microphyllas and their hybrids, as well as other species. And if you bring a blooming branch from your unidentified pink he could probably ID it for you.
...See More
How drought tolerant is your salvia greggii?
Q
Comments (6)
I've got several in different locations, but they all get water a couple of times a month, so I can't comment on if they're drought tolerantÃ¢ÂÂ¦ The one with the nicest foliage is lightly shaded for part of the day, but the ones that bloom the best are in full sun all day long, and frankly it's all about the blooms for me. If you don't sheer them back after each bloom, they're going to eventually look bad, so when there's a bunch of finished flower stems, trim way back into the foliage to get a new flush and prevent dead wood. I severely cut back the whole bush at the end of winter before the new spring growth starts. You can also *not* trim it at all, let the branches bend and touch the ground during the summer, and then let them root for new plants. I can't remember where I read it, but I think S. greggi isn't the most long-lived plant, so if it starts to go downhill, it's probably best to just replace it with a new one. Even with good care you're eventually going to end up with woody stumps and less than vigorous growth.
...See More
Question about salvia--at least I think it's Salvia.
Q
Comments (6)
That is a salvia. The brown stuff looks like the old flowers. You can snip them off. That's called "deadheading". Some plants drop their dead flowers, some don't. Snipping the dead flowers and newly forming seed pods off can encourage repeat blooming and discourage self sowing, but it isn't absolutely necessary.
...See More
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
10 years ago
I grow a fair amount of Salvia greggii. I don't keep track of their names. There are so many of them . It makes my head spin. I cut them back in months that begin with J. Someone told me that and it stuck in my head. Since they are still blooming in June like the dickens, that means January and July. The January clip is a harsher one. This keeps things very bushy on the most part and encourages a beautiful fall bloom.. I have mine in part shade with periods of intense morning sun on a limestone hill without irrigation. More because of my gardening situation than because of wishes. They do survive in style. I also have some in full sun and they also thrive.I have Pink preference and Dark Dancer and some others. I do not buy them from Big Box stores. I get them from a neigborhood nursery that gets them from Texas growers in the area.
0

Related Stories

INSIDE HOUZZ How Much Does a Remodel Cost, and How Long Does It Take?

By Erin Carlyle

The 2016 Houzz & Home survey asked 120,000 Houzzers about their renovation projects. Here’s what they said

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Incorporate Your Roofing Into the Landscape

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Choose hardscape and plantings that work with your roof’s color, texture, shape and line

SAVING WATER Houzz Call: Are You Letting Go of Your Lawn?

By Annie Thornton

Many facing a drought are swapping turf for less thirsty plantings. If you’re one of them, we’d like to hear about it

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Autumn Sage Brings Color and Butterflies

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Whether you live in the arid desert or the humid South, you'll likely find this deer-resistant beauty as irresistible as winged creatures do

PETS So You Want to Get a Cat

By Mitchell Parker

If you're a cat lover, the joys outweigh any other issue. If you haven't lived with one yet, here are a few things to know

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Gardening for the Bees, and Why It’s a Good Thing

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

When you discover how hard bees work for our food supply, you may never garden without them in mind again

REGIONAL GARDEN GUIDES California Gardener's March Checklist

Give natives and tropicals a well-deserved spotlight — plus, discover an easy herb that keeps on giving

LANDSCAPE DESIGN What Kind of Gardener Are You? Find Your Archetype

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Pick from our descriptions to create a garden that matches your personality and tells your story

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Invite Entertaining Hummingbirds Into Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Hummingbirds — unique to the Americas — zip through open landscapes seasonally or year-round. Here’s how to attract them

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Flowers That Hummingbirds Adore

To draw those mesmerizing little birds to your garden or doorstep, plant these flowers that are attractive in more ways than one

Sponsored

MCR ROMERO WORK LLC

Innovative & Creative General Contractors Servicing Franklin County

More Discussions

tips for germinating old salvia seeds?

1