I grew this one for a while, and was disappointed, because it did not want to bloom for me. It reach the budding stage one winter, though.

The flower on the Cabrillo College form is pretty accurate, I think

OK, thanks Richard. It will be interesting to see what the one from UCSC turns out to be...

I asked Kathy N. at the CC sale about Salvia sprucei, as I had seen it in their garden the year before. She said it was a very old plant and that she thinks it died recently. :-( Too bad, as that is another one I've been wanting.

She also told me that another Salvia Summit is in the works, probably at Huntington Botanical Garden.

Rich, I've got a plant that I'm pretty sure is curtiflora, that I got from you a few years ago. Mine has bloomed the last two winters in the greenhouse, and it's putting on a second bloom right now along with a number of other normally late fall/early winter bloomers. I should send you a photo to confirm the ID. I've been hand pollinating it this spring and have one seed germinated thus far.

I bought a plant at UCB Botanical months ago that was labeled merely Salvia sp. It was ~ 5 ft. tall in its one gallon pot, with enormous leaves. I thought it might be a mexicana. Today the blooms have started to open, and I'm pretty sure it's S. curtiflora. The calyces are almost black, and the flowers are the color of the Raspberry Truffle hybrid. They aren't as congested as the blooms pictured in the link below, but otherwise look the same.

I was able to root stems that broke off in water. It's perhaps not a garden-worthy plant for everyone (more foliage than flower, winter bloomer), but I like it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Salvia curtiflora

Hi, does anyone grow this plant, or have seeds? I mistakenly put it in the front yard, where we have deer. While they didn't eat it, the bucks knocked it down while rutting. GRRRR. Live and learn. It was big. I only got a few cuttings to root, because I didn't notice right away. Well, the snails just demolished the young plants. UGH! I will gladly trade you seeds for Salvia sessilifolia, which I doubt you will find elsewhere. :) Thank you!

Update: I found another cutting of this plant [I have too many plants to keep track of…], hooray!! :)