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Super Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Is anyone successfully growing Black and Blue Salvia? If so, can you share any tips? I purchased several from a local nursery a couple of weeks ago and have already replaced 2 of them. I'm in southern NM and have been keeping them watered. I've learned from past experience that the local nursery staff doesn't give the best advice, so I figured I'd check here. Thanks!

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@Wahoogaz wrote:

Is anyone successfully growing Black and Blue Salvia? If so, can you share any tips? I purchased several from a local nursery a couple of weeks ago and have already replaced 2 of them. I'm in southern NM and have been keeping them watered. I've learned from past experience that the local nursery staff doesn't give the best advice, so I figured I'd check here. Thanks!


I have never heard of the flower but it’s beautiful. Hopefully this is the right one in the photo.

 

C5BC7576-FA8B-49AA-A120-1DD6F0C4967B.jpeg

Trusted Contributor
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Registered: ‎08-05-2011

@Wahoogaz: I love that salvia. I'm in Tucson and 2nd time trying to grow it since it’s so beautiful.

I mixed it in this time with the regular salvia, 2 different types of red, to help shade it some.

I'm not getting more than few blossoms at a time but the plant is big and healthy. 

Where do you have yours planted? I'm thinking it can’t tolerate direct hot sun like the others so maybe under some dappled shade?

 

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@OKPrincess  Yes, that's it.

 

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@Sadiesadie wrote:

@Wahoogaz: I love that salvia. I'm in Tucson and 2nd time trying to grow it since it’s so beautiful.

I mixed it in this time with the regular salvia, 2 different types of red, to help shade it some.

I'm not getting more than few blossoms at a time but the plant is big and healthy. 

Where do you have yours planted? I'm thinking it can’t tolerate direct hot sun like the others so maybe under some dappled shade?

 


@Sadiesadie  I'm thinking direct sun may be at least part of the problem, but not sure yet. The guy at the nursery told me to make sure they get full sun, but I've gotten bad advice from them in the past. I've got 5 of them in my backyard in direct sun in a semicircle mixed in with some Penstemon Superbus. The nursery replaced 2 of them already and let me keep one of the original ones since it was still 'kind of' alive. I put that one in a large pot in my front courtyard where it will get some shade. Hopefully, it will bounce back. The ones in the back yard that are in the ground and had trouble - looked great for days and then all the sudden start turning black. Right now, 4 of the 5 in the back yard look great, but 1 started looking bad yesterday afternoon and looks worse this morning. I guess if more start turning bad, I'll pot them up and see how they do in potting soil and a more shaded area. It may just end up being something that doesn't do well here ... because of sun or soil. We'll see.

 

BTW, we lived in Tucson for several years. I love Tucson and you have one of my favorite nurseries there - Civano. I have several cactus from there in my yard here. Unfortunately, we lost the saguaro we tried growing here - but the rest of them are doing great.

Esteemed Contributor
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Registered: ‎09-12-2010

Re: Black and Blue Salvia

[ Edited ]

I bought this plant last year from my local nursery and loved it - and so did the hummingbirds! I found that it does not like a lot of direct sun. I placed it so that it had mostly shade during the day - just a little sun for an hour or so around 11:00 a.m. The plant got to be large - probably about 2' to 2 1/2' high. I watered it daily when it was really hot, but didn't water it heavily. I think the little "name stake" that came with it called for part-sun to shade. Good luck with yours - it's a nice full and beautiful plant!

 

Edited: forgot to mention that I had my black/blue salvia in a large pot on my patio and that worked out fine with mostly shade..

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@Wahoogaz wrote:

Is anyone successfully growing Black and Blue Salvia? If so, can you share any tips? I purchased several from a local nursery a couple of weeks ago and have already replaced 2 of them. I'm in southern NM and have been keeping them watered. I've learned from past experience that the local nursery staff doesn't give the best advice, so I figured I'd check here. Thanks!


 

 

@Wahoogaz  This is a heat and draught tolerant plant, as are most salviaa, but there are also annuals which require more water.  You may have over watered, though until any plant is stabilized, has been growing for a while, it needs some water.

 

" Tender herbaceous perennial or subshrub; grown as an annual in cooler zones."

 

I grow over fifty varieities of salvias, and havn't had one die, except for a few of the annual type.

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I'm on the east coast and this plant does very well in sun/part sun.  It's one of my favorites, for beauty and hummingbird attraction.  It's even overwintered in my zone, though it is marginal.

Cogito ergo sum
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Mine seem to like morning sun .......the one that gets afternoon sun doesn't do as well....

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@Wahoogaz: Getting blooms on mine now. Yay. They are in a west facing raised planter with that red salvia. 

I do fertilize and recently fertilized again.  The leaves are a big beautiful green.

I would like to find a spot where they can be by themselves and thrive and be showy but won’t tempt that yet.