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can you recommend a company to buy Salvia Black and Blue seeds?

ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a

10 years ago

In the past I've had bad experience with some companies, so now I always check Dave's garden watchdog.
Swallowtail seeds has an excellent rating, and they have some wonderful salvia
but not B&B.
thanks for any tips

Here is a link that might be useful: Swallowtail salvia seeds

Featured Answer

kermitc

10 years ago

From our experience in the last few years, most of the Black & Blue plants sold in the major nursery channels are from tissue cultured plants. It appears that the mother meristem tissue stock has declined, perhaps due to being grown in vitro for too long. The result are plants that grow with far less vigor than one would expect from this clone. This seems to be a nationwide issue.

We have sought out alternate sources for new mother stock, but to date are not convinced that any of the these are free from the lack-of-vigor we have documented.

So the short answer is no, I don't know right now where a B&B of old can be had. We are still evaluating a few sourced outside the typical channels and may be able to offer advice later in the season. For now we are pointing people to other Salvia guaranitica varieties.

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Comments (10)

kermitc
10 years ago
Black and Blue is a clonal variety. Seeds from it (and I have never seen it set seed) would not come true to type.
ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
Original Author
10 years ago
OH,
that explains why I don't see seeds sold.

So I have to buy the plant.

Then, any suggestions on reliable places to purchase the plant?

thank you.
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ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for your reply.
too bad. I Just fell in love with this plant.

What other varieties of guaranitica are you suggesting?

Hopefully some that are not too hard to find.
kermitc
10 years ago
We love 'Blue Ensign', 'Sapphire Blue' and 'Purple Majesty'. All are good growers and of reasonable size.
ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
Original Author
10 years ago
thanks.
I'll write these down and look for. I"ve never heard of them. You certainly know your salvias! :)

are you a grower?
kermitc
10 years ago
Send me a private message, please.
duane456
10 years ago
I'd have to disagree with kermit that black and blue don't set seeds. I've collected them before, though hard to find. I have gotten a few. These are from the seeds-----Looks just like the parent to me.
hawkeye_wx
10 years ago
That's interesting about black & blue at nurseries. I've been regrowing plants the last couple years that were overwintered in my basement, but they have not been doing well so I will be buying three new b&b plants in a week or two. One new one I bought last year grew very well in a pot. I also grow blue ensign, argentina skies, and amistad, but there's no way I won't grow black & blues.

duane, black & blue produces seeds, but you don't know what kind of plant you will get from them. It may look just like the parent, or it may be bigger, smaller, have lighter or more purplish flowers, etc.
HU-455154522
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Beware of SwallowTailSeeds. I had horrible luck ordering for the 1st time with them this year, as many others with such late shipping we had to cancel our orders. This was NOT due to covid as they had already advertised 4-6 weeks. I had NO other issues with late orders this year ordering from 7-10 other companies online.

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