If the maroon one is tall, Kate, is probably van houtteyi (spelling?), and it's a great one. I love all of them, really, except the little short red ones that people usually line up like soldiers. I like them better tall and less severe.

Salvia leucantha (Mexican sage) is a great one with its velvety lavender flowers, and silvery leaves. Always a solid performer. Saliva coccinea, the red, the coral and the white, are stalwart additions, too, and volunteer happily everywhere. Purple majesty is tall and velvety dark purple, and gorgeous. Salvia patens is a clear blue, similar to what you have above, but it doesn't thrive for me, so I've quite trying it.

If I had to pick ONLY one...well, I probably couldn't. But two I would definitely not want to be without are Indigo Spires and salvia guaranitica "Black & Blue." Those are Must-Haves to my mind. Oooh, and Anthony Parker. And forysythia sage. And Waverly. I love Waverly.

Hmmmmm...why not try them all?? They are kind of like coleus in that one can never have too many salvias, right?

Marcia

I think my favorite is "Black&Blue".
I got it from Nicki.
Marcia, when you come to visit,I need you to Id all my salvias and I'll write it down. I have at least six different kinds. Anthony Parker,"black and blue",Mexican salvia. There are two others that I do not know the names.
Nova gave me one kind that is beginning to flower and it seems to be red. I can't remember the name she told me.
Susan if you read this maybe you can tell me again.
I also have Texas sage. Is that consider a salvia?
I love them all.
Felix

My favorite salvia is one that is alive ! After this season's tough weather - only the fittest survive .

castorp gave me a pale pink salvia that is a lovely contrast to the reds and blues . Still waiting for it to bloom again . Love the tough and hardy salvias and so do the butterflies and hummers .

I have several, but don't know their names. People give me plants and if they live and grow I am happy, but usually don't know the name. I have one that is lavender and white that I really love. For some reason I can't grow forsythia sage, it just dries up and dies on me. I have a red that seeds everywhere and a pink that does the same and also black and blue, that one I know the name. lol

forsythia sage, for me at least, grows best in the shady back corners of beds. it does NOT like full sun. what's more, no matter how much iron i give it, the leaves tend to yellow in late summer, just when it comes into bloom.

i have several right now. indigo spires is great, but gets WAAY toooooo big in my little garden. i like the salvia that nicki has passed around--she id'd it as anthony parker, but i'm not sure that's what it is. but it IS pretty, neat, TOUGH and persistent. plus you always have a few to pass around.

in my xeri bed, i'm growing:
Salvia greggii 'Big Pink' (very very pretty and tough)
Salvia greggii 'Pink Preference' (small but nice)
Salvia farinacea 'Augusta Duelberg' (white and cool, but leggy.)

I love salvia! Red, pink, white, blue, yellow, but my favorite is black! Salvia discolor has a lovely white frosted calyx and a dark purple that is almost black. Check out the link for a nice pic.
Kat

Here is a link that might be useful: black salvia

Ill-man, Anthony Parker is a cross between indigo spires and pineapple sage. It has the leaf shape of the pineapple sage, but the leaves aren't fragrant, and the flowers are dark purple, similar to the indigo spires. Overall, it isn't as huge as the indigo spires, though it can get pretty full. It's just a bit more compact in growth habit, like pineapple sage. Nicki definitely has it and has given me some, so yours is probably it, too, unless she mixed up some seedlings.

Felix, Texas sage is a salvia...I THINK it's the common name for salvia greggii, but I could be wrong. Perhaps that's "autumn sage?" Ill-Man?

My forsythia sage is looking rather small and yellowish this year, too, Michael...maybe I need to put it in a cooler spot?

So many salvias to choose from! And I pretty much love them all.

Marcia

that 'black salvia' looks awesome. Kat, where did you get yours? this looks like a 'must-have'

I noticed I am trailing behind you all (ya'll?) just like with the coleus, now the salvias. I now want Salvias LOL

I'm with you! I want them all too. Now I want the black one and also the white, even if it does get leggy. And I definitely don't have enough pinks. I'm pretty sure I need the forsythia too - I had it long ago but lost it and never replaced it.

I do have the Mexican sage (lavender and white) and that's another favorite of mine and of the hummingbirds.

Kate, if you like I drop off a shoot of the forsythia sage :)

Yes! Thank you! I have a nice corner with filtered light where it might be pretty happy.

I'll grab my little shovel and we'll find something for you to take home too.

Wow, Kat! That black salvia is incredible. Thanks for the link. I wonder if it does well here. Salvia patens has a lovely sky blue and enormous big flowers, but it seems to hate humidity and I can't keep it growing. It would be nice of the black one would fare well here. Very unusual.

I love salvia farinacea, too, for a wonderful, full, lavender-looking clump of blue, but mine this year all got powdery mildew and turned nasty. This, in spite of the fact that there has been nary a drop of rain on them. I would have thought the hot, dry wind would have kept them fungus free, but nooooo. I have replaced most of them with Black & Blue, which doesn't seem so susceptible to powdery mildew. Anyone else having problems with Victoria Blue salvia farinacea? (Normally, it's a good, strong plant for me.)

Marcia

I found several salvias including the Black and Blue one at Lowes last weekend on the clearance rack. They were in 1 gallon pots for 1.75. Most were still in good shape too. I like the way the Black and Blue one's leaves smell.

I started some Victoria from seed. So far--knock on wood--no problems. It's the first time I've grown it. It's blooming nicely and takes the heat and drought well. I'm waiting to see how it's going to handle the summer--and if it comes back next year.

I planted some bog salvia, and it's doing okay. I can't wait to see the thing bloom.

My problem with Forsythia sage was it got so tall and lanky. The leaves never yellowed much but I had it in fairly deep shade--probably too deep. I just didn't have room for it.

My all-time favorite is the plain old red tropical sage. I just let it reseed and edit to the ones I want. I love the color and especially the way they light up red-orange when sun comes through the blooms. As soon as a plant starts looking ratty I just tear it out. Others will always pop up to replace it.

Bill

I had my forsythia sage in varying degrees of shade and it still died. It just doesn't like my garden. But the others have done well for me. I need to get pineapple sage again though and of course that black one Kat had is one I'll look for.;o)

I couldn't get onto the forum last night to respond to the questions. I have been collecting sages for a couple of years now. The black sage is two years old and doing a little better now, I really don't remember where I got it. I cut it back a few months ago as it was long and scraggly. I will try rooting cuttings for all you salvia hoes, er um salvia lovers. Now who is having a coleus, salvia swap? LOL!
Kat

Kate, I will set the forsythia sage by your front door later today :)

Got em! Thank you!

Hi Folks,

Time to start adding some color to the front yard. Are any of these perennial, and how do they do in partial shade?

Tom

Tom,
I think all are perennial except those red and salmon annual salvia you see for sale in the multi-packs at every big box nursery. I don't have anything against those because they are colorful, last all summer and the hummers love them. But if you are looking for the perennial kinds, those aren't the ones you want. Anything else you find labeled 'salvia' or 'sage' should be good. If you can find Black and Blue, Limelight or Mexican Sage, buy it! Buy all three!

kate

Tom, many of the ones that are perennials get quite tall, too. Anywhere from 3 to 4 feet, to higher for things like forsythia sage and Purple Majesty salvia. Some are short-lived perennials that might only last one or two seasons, but that seed well and leave volunteers behind. Salvia coccinia (tropical sage) is like that. It comes in red, coral, pink and white, and most only live a year or maybe two, but they reseed.

Pineapple sage is a great one that can get 4' by 4', has red blooms and leaves that smell (and taste) like pineapple. I've never had one of those last longer than 18 months or so, but I know others who have gotten a couple of years out of them. Again, they will seed and you can also propagate by cuttings. Pineapple sage is especially popular with hummers, too.

Also, many of the perennial salvias will do fine in partial shade. Some might actually perform better, like the yellow forsythia sage. (That one gets huge...over 6 feet, easy.)

If you haven't grown many of the salivas before, you are about to enter a whole new world of gardening. Like coleus, they are addictive.

Marcia

Thanks Kate and Marcia, I'm on a quest now :-)

Tom

Tom, my Target often carries salvia guaranitica Black & Blue, and they usually only run about $3.50 or so for a nice full plant. It's a great one to start with as it will come back every year, even if it dies down. (And it doesn't always die down.) It has tuberous roots that will allow it to spread and return, but it isn't invasive at all. And it adds a wonderful, rich blue flower on a black calyx to the garden mix. It's a great favorite of mine.

Home Depot frequently has Indigo Spires, which is tough, hardy and perennial unless we have a really bad winter. It is super good looking. They also carry Mystic Spires, which is a hybrid of Indigo spires and salvia farinacea. It stays low to the ground, but has the long bloom spikes. However, I didn't find it nearly as attractive in my beds as Indigo Spires.

If you are looking for blue or lavender, I would recommend:

1. Salvia leucantha (Mexican sage)
2. Salvia guaranitica "Black & Blue"
3. Indigo Spires

For overall performance, you can't beat those.

If you want reds:

1. Salvia coccinea (tropical sage)
2. Salvia elegans (pineapple sage)

Google these guys to see which you like best. All five are nice large, full plants that will make a landscape statement, and are pretty tough. Salvia leucantha has the added advantage of having very pretty silvery leaves that look good even when the plant isn't blooming.

Good luck!

Marcia