I have Amistad. While I have already had a bitter and lengthy rant against media hyperbole and wild claims, I have to say it is completely deserved, in my garden at least. Amistad is, even now, blooming gloriously, in a thrilling tangle with anisodontea and alstroemeria (triple A). Although it has taken over a daintier gaura and parahebe, I cannot resent the amount of space it fills...because it fills it so gloriously.

even now, blooming gloriously, in a thrilling tangle

==>>> campy ....you can weave words like few others ...

i can affirmatively state.. i was never thrilled with a tangle of plants .. but now i will look for them .. lol

great pic prineceton ....

ken

Princeton, I’m near New Hope and I was wondering where you bought your Amistad? I couldn’t find it last year, but then again, I didn’t go looking for it until late in the season. The other night I read they had to be started from cuttings. I was going to ask one of the local nurseries to order it for me, but if Kale’s or that other place on route 31 carries it, i’ll just ask them to reserve some for me.

I have it on order from Burpee's.

I ordered it from Burpee's.

Thanks Paul and Princeton. I had checked online and saw they had it, but was hoping to get larger plants. I’ll order some from them just in case.

Oh, don't worry about size, Chickadee - it will romp away to monster size as soon as it gets its roots in the soil - mine grew 5 feet high and wide in a season.

I second Camp's comments. Some of mine grew to 3ft in a season. I did notice that a couple of plants did not grow much, but I think it's because I planted them too close to an aggressive river birch which was too much competition for them. Although full sun is recommended, from my experience, Amistad also grows very well in partial shade (the original pic that I posted) and even in almost full shade. Lastly, the plants that were in wetter areas (or near sprinklers) in my yard grew the fastest.

It seems amazing. It's listed as an annual. Does anyone have methods for overwintering ?

It's listed as perennial in zones 8 and warmer, so it might overwinter in zone 7 with protection. Sunset suggests growing it as a container plant in colder zones, presumably if you have a place to keep it growing indoors or in a cold greenhouse.

I've seen a suggestion that it might be a hybrid between S. guaranitica x S. gesneriiflora, discovered in a plant sale in Argentina in 2005.

For anyone who is looking for larger plants, High Country Gardens and White Flower Farm also offer it and theirs are probably larger.

I'm in 6b & despite having a bad winter, mine are coming back without any winter protection.

That's great to hear. They look fabulous, but are a bit pricey for an annual.

I'm going to try to winter them over in 5b. One seller suggests growing them in pots and moving the pots to a garage. That doesn't suit my plans for this year, but I may try to pot one up in the fall.

The situation for blue and purple salvias here is discouraging, especially if one doesn't much like S. farinacea. I used to grow S. patens with seed from Thompson & Morgan, who no longer ship to the United States, but Park's has seed for the 'Blue Angel' cultivar. Or I might switch to S. nemorosa, which is hardy in this climate.

I once had over wintered 'Black and Blue' by lifting the plant from its garden location and burying the entire thing about 3 inches down right against the foundation .... come spring, it was in excellent condition. Really should have just left it there, as the ground never freezes next to the house and I only ended up losing 'BB' the next winter when autumn chores came to an abrupt end with the onset of bitter cold.

I love ‘Black and Blue’, but this one might go even better with my roses. I hope they sell them around here. At least I will know what to look for. Thanks for the introduction!

Amistad is beautiful as is BB. Another variety that I saw growing last year at the Chicago Botanic Garden was Indigo Spires. They had a row of it growing nearly 3 feet tall. Just stunning and on my plant list for this year. A good source for salvias is : Goodwin Creek Gardens

New Jersey folks: I found Amistad, Black and Blue, and Heavenly Spires (like a dwarf indigo spires) at Bountiful Gardens in Hillsborough last year. Select Seeds also has a great selection of salvias including Love and Wishes, another favorite.

I haven't tried overwintering the others, but many years I do succeed in overwintering Black and Blue. It's roots form tubers. I dig up the whole plant around first frost, , cut it back, stick it in a pot and then shove the pot and some scrunched up newspapers (to absorb any excess moisture and prevent rot) in a garbage bag. I leave it in the basement until around now and then remove the plastic bag and start watering. Once shoots emerge, I put it under lights or outside. Sadly, didn't get these or my cannas dug last fall so I'm plant shopping!

that's what i did with my two BB tubers. I hope they make it in my unheated garage. they are beautiful and expensive salvias!

Oh, so you put all the dirt with the root system in a pot, cut off all foliage and then put in a plastic bag with newspaper? I'm confirming as the cost + postage is $30 for 3 plants (the minimum purchase with Burpees).

'Black and Blue' overwintered for me here in 6a last year in a spot 4-5 feet away from the house on the west side. I'm waiting to see if it will come back this year. Whether I want it to or not I can't decide.

If mine would overwinter in our zone 5b garden, that would be great. I didn't want to chance losing it, so I potted it up and even though, I don't even know if that worked. This was my first time growing it BB and definitely not my last.

posierosie, yes, that's exactly what I do. It's much like overwintering Dahlia tubers except for some reason I leave the Salvia black and blue ones in soil (can't remember why, saw this recommended years ago). In 7a yours just might survive in the ground. I'm in 6a.

annabelle, I read that somewhere too, but I can't remember where. probably here on the garden forum. someone suggested just digging up the tubers and potting them up in soil. I think I'm going to start watering mine at the end of the month. I hope they survive. BB is a beautiful plant and the hummingbirds LOVED it.

Does anyone know if Amistad also develops into tubers similar to BB?

I was already thinking I should order this, but the pic sealed it! I ordered 3 from Burpee for $19.99 and got 20% off (I lost the code, but found it via Google). I also found a tall lily similar to one I lost years ago. So, thanks everyone! I cannot wait for these! :) :) :)

Surprisingly black and blue overwintered for me here in zone 5 the last 2 years. No special treatment. Time will tell if it returns this year...

I just got my Amistad plant in the mail and transplanted it to a larger potion my deck. It is the end of April. Do you know if the deer will eat it in my garden or if I should keep it safe on my deck. Our neighborhood has its own herd, and they have decimated my Black-eyed Susans and rhododendron.
I am excited about the hummingbirds. I visited a park last year and saw them growing. I paint en plein air on occasion, and I had a chance to sit and paint while the hummingbirds flew in and out of it for an afternoon.

VW: I seldom log in to my Houzz account, but I had to to say that I love your painting! Thanks for sharing.

Also, I know this is an old thread, but I found it, so others might as we; so while I'm here--I stored my large pots, two of which had Salvia Black & Blue and two which had Amistad, amongst other plants, in an unheated shed over the winter 2019 to 2020.

I put them in there in the early part of November and didn't do a thing to them until taking the containers out of the shed in mid May 2020. All four of the Salvias had begun to put out new growth and now have been blooming since the end of June.

Also successfully overwintering in those and various other containers in the shed: dusty miller, wallflower, Victoria Blue salvia, and two different nemesias: 'Blue Bird' and a darker purple/blue one the name of which I can't recall.

I'm in SE Pennsylvania, zip code listed as Zone 6b, but maps suggest our property straddles 6b and 7a.

Thank you, Sarah! I was debating planting the Amistad Salvia next to our home’s foundation, but do you think I would be better off putting my large pot in my garage? I saw a hummingbird visitor to it the other day, which totally delights me. I am in NJ and probably straddle those same zones.

I am delighted you enjoy my painting. Thank you so much!

Reading this thread while occasionally glancing at the Amistad on the deck with 2 hummers in attendance. They linger in the Amistad much more tha any other plants on the deck. encouraged to overwinter by your posts,

Cecis47, just this morning I saw a jeweled-green hummer at my Black & Blue. Unfortunately, I moved too fast and scared it off. But, I often do see them feeding at both that and the Amistad, as well s a few others on my deck.

Hard for me to get clear pix, but here's a pretty bad one (our deck is a mess, it's taken through the window screen, and it's not at all close up of the bird! Still...) Hummer in lower center of pic.