3 Underused Salvias for the South

I'm an obsessive person, especially when it comes to my favorite plants. I'm constantly cycling from one plant addiction to another. My passions mostly follow the calendar, as something comes into "season" I rediscover my love for it.

One of my all-time favorite genera is Salvia. Slavia is a hugely diverse genus with every form and color you can imagine. Their leaves often have fragrance and are largely impervious to deer, and they also contain many species which are irresistible to hummingbirds. Because of their diversity and garden adaptability, they make great plants for obsessive collectors like me.

Salvia puberula is a tall robust fuzzy sage.. It doesn't bloom until October, but when it does, it puts on a show for sure. I love it for its shocking pink blooms and its strongly scented heart-shaped leaves. The spherical magenta buds are also an added bonus. This is a species for the edges of woodlands as it does seem to perform best with some afternoon shade. This salvia, though native to the mountains of central Mexico, seems quite adaptable to the humid south. It does prefer a weekly soaking to stay perky and vibrant. Because of its rangy habit, it will flop and fall, but it rarely breaks.

Salvia regla (or Orange Mountain Sage) is an elegant though drought-tolerant species from arid regions of Texas and Mexico, like so many salvias. Over time it develops a woody trunk rather like rosemary. As such, you should lightly prune it and never cut it to the ground like you would an herbaceous perennial. this back to the ground like your herbaceous perennials. Think of it more as a shrub. Don't be alarmed if it is late to leaf out in the spring, that's just its way and it will seemingly flush out all at once. Every October I eagerly anticipate its showy orange-red flowers.

I'm tempted to not include this last Salvia because I don't personally have much success growing it at my mom's place. However, many folks apparently find it easy, and I absolutely love its unusual yellow color (yellow is rare in salvias). Salvia madrensis or Forsythia sage is a mammoth plant, with big heart-shaped leaves and thick angular stems. My particular clone, which I got from Petals from the Past, is named 'Red Neck Girl'- or at least I think it is and develops reddish stems up to10 ft. tall! Forsythia sage is probably my last salvia to bloom, often not until mid to late October. This species may have been a struggle for me because I haven't found the right soil or sweet spot. This year, I have two plantings both in sandy, loamy soils that will hopefully provide enough drainage. I suspect the key is good winter drainage and perhaps a moderate dressing of pine straw or leaves to protect its shallow roots from frost.

There are so many other must-have salvias for the south. Salvia guaranitica is great because it is always covered with hummingbirds. Salvia oxyphora looks like a fuzzy lipstick and blooms for such a long time. And Salvia mexicana 'Lime Light' is captivating with its lime green and clear purple flowers. The list goes on and on... You should really experiment with new ones too because I think there is a lot of untapped potential with all the diversity coming out of Mexico and East Asia.