Salvias are wonderful in SoCal and there are so many varieties. One of the most common and easy to grow is Salvia leucantha - Mexican Sage. It grows to about 4ft tall and wide while in bloom. What I like about it is that it tells you when it's ok to cut it back. When it's almost done blooming, new growth starts to appear right in the middle of the plant out of the ground. That means it's ok to whack everything but that new growth. S. leucantha also blooms at different times for different people. I thought it mostly bloomed in Autumn. But I have seen it bloom in Spring or Summer too. I think it depends when and how you prune it. And it is a good thing to prune it because the flowers start to lay down and it gets messy. It's always nice to "start fresh" with a good prune.
Is this a native California plant? I love the purple flowers but everytime I plant a salvia it does not grow to be big. Am I over-watering?
ReplyDeleteS. leucantha is native to Mexico. It wants well drained soil, full sun and is drought tolerant once established. So yes you are probably over-watering like many people.
ReplyDelete