@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) I capitulate, I will believe you. But i.f. you are wrong, I will publicly shame you here 🤪!

If by the slightest of chances it doesnt survive :( I will not be posting as I will have gone into hiding ;).

'Amistad' is the only tender salvia that's in my plans, for a container at the front door. I'm planting a couple plants of Salvia uliginosa, but it's at least theoretically hardy here now that we've been promoted to zone 6a.

I finally joined HPSO, the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon. Last week we attended 'Plant Nerd Night' in Lake Oswego. Some really great vendors were hawking their expertly curated offerings. I picked up Salvia uliginosa (Bog Sage) from south America and Salvia elegans (Pineapple Sage).

I have 2 red salvias,and one lavendar one.the lavendar one was supposed to be a "Coral Nymph salvia,i had had one many years ago and lost it,then last year i went on the hunt for it again.I had gotten the original coral nymph from my sister in N.Y.state,but she no longer had it either,So i found this guy in Florida that said he had it,so i ordered seeds for both myself and my sister.The first several that popped up i thought was weeds so discarded them,but they returned and i decided to let them grow,and low and behold it was salvia,but it wasn't the coral nymp,rather it is a light lavendar,it's pretty so i kept it and it is still flowering.My sister said hers never even came up.

I suppose they could have been seeds from Coral Nymph that crossed with something else. Sounds like a keeper. Maybe you can collect some seeds from it.

Salvia elegans hides in the herb section at garden centers here instead of with the flowers. S. elegans 'Honey Melon' is supposed to be earlier and longer blooming than other elegans but I haven't seen that one. It's tempting to order one if I could just get better at wintering over tender perennials in zone 6. I do have a few tender salvias coming back that I covered with leaves and plastic. Others that are no-shows so far though.

"Salvia elegans hides in the herb section at garden centers here instead of with the flowers."

Same here -- look in the herb section. It grows pretty fast, so don't be too concerned with it be of smaller size.

For some reason, my little Salvia elegans --planted on March 28-- is blooming!

That's wacko @artinnaturez8b.

I've bought salvia elegans in bloom in the spring in years past but it soon quit and didn't rebloom until fall for me. Your hummingbirds will appreciate those early flowers though.

I bought a Salvia Salgoon Lake Flamingo that I found locally a few days ago. I can't find what kind of salvia it is. I assume a hybrid of some sort.

I have a tricky spot near the front of my house. It's a raised bed that used to get a lot of sun but my trees have gotten bigger so now it gets shade from the house in the morning, then dappled shade the rest of the day. Tree roots have grown up into it a bit and it's raised so it's hard to keep watered. I try something different every year. lol

I want long blooming flowers there since it's at the front of the house. This year I'm trying salvia coccinea. It would probably be happier with more sun but I did find some sources that said it will bloom in dappled shade. We'll see.

I found another Salgoon Lake series salvia. This one is called 'Blueberry'.

So far the only salvias I have blooming are the ones I purchased already in bloom. I think I need an early blooming perennial one that hummingbirds would like.

I have had a "Salgoon" salvia the last two seasons. I really like their compact diminutive stature and so able to fir them into containers but I think from my experience they arent as floiferous as other salvias.

Did you keep your Salgoon Lake over winter or purchase a second one? It's disappointing that it wasn't a heavy bloomer.

I need to correct myself. I forgot my salvia greggii 'Cold Hardy Pink' is blooming. I planted seeds from that and a few of them sprouted then died. We had a sunny day that was in the low 90's and I think they may have cooked in their container (a milk jug with only the lid off). I've been watching for volunteers under the plant but haven't seen any so far.

I wish I hadnt said anything about the its flowering. Thinking more now about its "performance", it must have been more than acceptable the first year as I used it again the next year (a new purchase...not an overwintering). Let us know how it does for you.

I don't usually buy Salvias as annuals but this year I decided to. I bought 'Nectar Blue' and 'Amistad' I'm hoping they will be winners.

Where did you find them PM?

Over the years ive had Apricot and a common Blue one. they took so long to bloom; i wish they started earlier. Nothing has ever re-seeded.

I saw them at Avant Gardens, Marie.

I picked up a couple of "Rockin' Deep Purple" salvia. The color is a redder purple than I like, but I wanted to try this one, and the color will work with the color scheme I've got going regardless. One of the Rockin' will be potted, the other in the ground. We shall see.

My cutting-grown "Mystic Spires" are growing like gangbusters, I'm going to start hardening them off this week and hopefully get them planted next week.

Salvia elegans 'Golden Delicious' was terrific lasst year, rapidly growing into a compact mound with chartreuse-yellow leaves and a long-lasting floral show in early autumn.

There are several cutting-grown plants which will go out into the garden soon.

It looks like we've once again had near 100% success in overwintering our "tender" Salvias, including 'Rockin' Blue Suede Shoes', Salvia guaranitica varieties such as 'Van Remsen', and 'Amistad' in Kentucky zone 7a (formerly classified as 6b). New for '26 here: Salvia reptans 'West Texas Form' and Salvia 'Big Swing'.

^^ What is the color of "Rockin' Blue Suede Shoes" compared to the "Rockin' Deep Purple"? Asking for a fussbudget... (that would be me) :0p

I am the most interested in knowing whether anyone has experienced hummingbird interest in some of these Salvias. AND....how are you overwintering them, I'd like to do that next winter.

"I am the most interested in knowing whether anyone has experienced hummingbird interest in some of these Salvias."

Oh yes, definitely -- I have seen hummers on "Mystic Spires", "Black and Blue", and "Purple and Bloom". I have a pot of salvia right outside my patio door every year, we enjoy seeing the cuties out the window while we're eating dinner.

I'm giving it a good try to entice them this year. I have those Salvias and I just found some small pots of Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' and I'm going to pair those with some annal red salvia and lantana in a big pot. And I dragged home a gorgeous pot of Fuchsia yesterday. We usually only see a hummer a few times a season. Sometimes none. And I just can't keep up with a feeder. So we'll see.

The Cuphea was the first plant that attracted them in my yard. I went years without a hummer before I tried Cuphea

I was bumming around at a nursery yesterday and a "Rockin' Blue Suede Shoes" made it's way into my cart. I want to test the color more than anything else (none of them on the bench were blooming yet).

@porkchop_z5b_MI to answer your question:

'Rockin Blue Suede Shoes' has pale, sky blue flowers with a dark navy or black calyx. 'Rockin Deep Purple', as the name suggests, has dark, rich purple/violet flowers with a black calyx.

I planted the "Rockin Deep Purple" in a large planter in which I usually put some sort of salvia. Then later in the day dug it up and planted in elsewhere in the beds. The violet-purple flowers were very hard to see against the color of the house plus for some reason the color was getting on my nerves (this happens with some colors for me -- I like the color in the nursery then there's something about it that irritates me in the planted setting). They don't bother me in the beds -- so far, anyway. But probably wouldn't buy this one again, solely for reasons of color -- I much prefer purple-blues. I hope I will like the "Blue Suede Shoes"...we shall see.

Then later in the day dug it up and planted in elsewhere in the beds. The violet-purple flowers were very hard to see against the color of the house plus for some reason the color was getting on my nerves

@porkchop_z5b_MI, you remind me lots of myself ie being a bit OCD regarding plant placement :).

"..you remind me lots of myself ie being a bit OCD regarding plant placement"

Oh, I'm fussy about the plant placement, too... LOL!

Just found new to me Salvia x jamensis 'Blackberry Ripple'. I had a lot from this group in my last garden, happy to finally add one here. Sorry, photos not great, but at least you can see the unique colors.

@artinnaturez8b - gorgeous color on that ”blackberry ripple” salvia!

Love the color of Blackberry Ripple!

Two salvias that I wintered over in the ground, Purple and Bloom, and Bodacious Rhythm and Blues are showing some color in their buds and will be blooming soon. I was sure Bodacious Rhythm and Blues would be first but Purple and Bloom has been quickly catching up from behind. Salvia greggii 'Cold Hardy Pink' has been in bloom for about three weeks though so now I'm wishing I hadn't killed my seedlings from that with my neglect. I could plant more but I think they would still be so small this winter that they might be difficult to keep.

'Plum Crazy' and 'Rockin' Fuchsia' are still no-shows so I've given up on them. I was very disappointed that Plum Crazy didn't come back. It was a heavy bloomer and did so well last summer.

I am really happy to see my 'Rockin' Fuchsia' showing up and setting blooms. It is labeled as zone 9-11. I planted by the south of the house

Black and Blue grows to a monster now. I wish it can be more floriferous

Sadly my Mexican Sage does not show up this year

@artinnaturez8b, that is a good combination! My Black & Blue is huge and blooming a bit better this year.

'Rockin' Fuchsia' Blooming well. I am confident it can be a true perennial in this location

My 'Black and Bloom' that I wintered over in the ground is finally blooming. My 'Purple and Bloom' plants have been blooming for quite awhile now. They seem more vigorous.

I found a Rockin' Fuchsia on clearance to replace the one I lost but if it doesn't grow very much, I should probably dig it up and bring it inside this fall. I don't think it's going to have enough time to get established.

Salgoon Lake Flamingo was blooming great for awhile but it seems to be taking a break now. To be fair, the container I put it in is a bit overcrowded and it's had the same potting soil for several years. I planted Salgoon Lake Blueberry a couple weeks later and it hasn't grown as much.

I am beyond thrilled with my "Blue Suede Shoes". The foliage is full and lush, and I quite like the bloom color.

Here is it on July 6; there is only one plant in this large planter, planted as a 4" starter plant:

The "Rockin' Deep Purple" are meh. They have filled out as nicely as possible under the maple tree and seem to be doing well, but I just don't really like the color in my garden. I'll leave them but won't purchase again.

@porkchop_z5b_MI, I have made a mental note to purchase your "BSS" for next year. Zooming in on your picture...its gorgeous.

^^ I had to take some of the verbena out of the pot because the salvia was getting so full -- I didn't expect that level of vigorousness. The verbena found a home elsewhere :0) (there are two left in the big planter)

Here is "Tropicolor" salvia (its claim to fame is that it took joint second place for Plant of the Year at last year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show).

(I planted it from a 4" starter pot)

^^ That's a nice-looking red salvia.

I agree 'pc' but I do like the blue flowered ones betterr and this year, how it worked out, I dont have any; definitely an oversight.

I really like a combo of deep pink and orange so have been very pleased with salvia curviflora and one of the numerous sphaeralceas which survive the boiling, rubbishy soil on offer (unlike eryngiums and echinops which shrinkle away in disgust).

'Roman Red' has been the star for me this summer so far when it comes to tender Salvias. It's been blooming pretty much nonstop since I planted it as a small plug in a container back in mid-May, and it holds up brilliantly in all-day sun during some of the extremely hot/humid stretches we've had recently, whereas some of my S. guaranitica types like 'Amistad' and 'Black and Bloom' need much more frequent watering or at least afternoon shade.

I particularly enjoy the contrast between the rusty maroon calyxes and the intense, coral-red flowers. I believe it's a S. splendens x. darcyi hybrid, but in general appearance it's probably the closet you can come to something resembling a "true red" guaranitica type.

I was just thinking about the tender salvias I bought this year and noticed a notification about another post here. I've been very disappointed with the performance of those I bought. Black & Blue was one and there were two others that were similar. We ended up planting them in large pots and they have not really pushed out new flowers, I deadheaded what was there but nothing really. Also the leaves have not looked great, brown edges on some of them so I keep pulling them off. We have watered because of the heat, maybe a little more than I normally would and I haven't been able to fertilize as I planned.

There were a couple of other plants in the pot - agastache was one and I don't remember the name of the other. So maybe the pot was crowded? Or it was the lack of fertilizer. But...what I realized was that everything else in the pot did fine, it was just the salvias that didn.t

I bought them for the Hummers and now I'll probably choose something else to attract them.

Definitely not a new one but rather I have had "Unplugged So Blue" Salvia farinacea for several consecutive seasons. This plant when mature and in full bloom, never looks bad. Bees love it. Here it is today August 6

It's blooming well. Do you mean that you've been wintering it over for several seasons?

No @christinmk z5b eastern WA. I have no room to keep them going. For this plant I buy new each spring.

All of my tender Salvias have stopped blooming. Pretty sure I have a budworm problem? They push out new bud clusters but almost no flowers result, then the buds fall off. These are guarantica, microphylla, jamensis types. I don't have any farinacea or splendens.

@artinnaturez8b

Southern pink moth is usually the prime suspect when it comes to damaged Salvia flower buds like you described: https://www.fbts.com/Battles-in-the-Salvia-Garden-Pretty-Southern-Pink-Moth.html

I’m not in its range (yet), but some of my tender Salvias have suffered similar disfigurement from tarnished plant bugs.