Hummer Magnet - Salvia Greggii

Here's a pic of the biggest hummer magnet in my yard. I have 5 of these in three colors, and they are flitting around all of them. This is a semi-hardwood salvia, perennial, I believe to 10 F, or as the southern living book describes it, middle south. They are fantastic, and as long as you cut the dead blooms off with 1/2" of stem after each flush, the next one gets even larger. These were 6" tall plants at the beginning of the summer, and are now well over 3' tall each. They flush about every 2-3 weeks, and blooms last usually about 7-8 days on the plant before they fall of, they never fade.

Very nice foto! I have these, too. Its a Texas native. Comes in a white form as well. Next year I plan to add the white form plus a blue salvia which should be great for the hummers and put on a pretty good show (red, white & blue. Thanks for deadheading tip.

I want the white one so bad!!!! I also have the apricot and fuschia varieties. The little wing things left behind after the flower falls off is where the seeds are. I'm trying to gather seeds for the fuschia and apricot, and have some of the redder pink rooting. It's not really a red, but more of a pink with red overtones. I've gotten one piece to root, keeping my fingers crossed on the other 8. Will try apricot and fuschia next. There's also a vareigated form as well, I"ve seen it once, and can't remember where I saw it. I actually found the apricot one here, and I can tell you that they do much better here than mine ever did in Texas. If you want them busher, take off about 3-4 inches each time, and they are supposed to get fuller, and not so sprawling.

I want to get Navajo Red by Monrovia and yours what is it?I have Black and Blue now. S.guaranitica

They do love the Black and Blue!

I don't know what variety it is. Mother forgot to get the tags on them. i know one is apricot....but I just love the color display they give me all the time. i have the black and blue as well, and it's a magnet for butterflies and bees too. They also like the Mexican Salvia as well, it has awsome flowers, now if I can keep from killing it with kindness. It's like a war in my yards most mornings. The hummers hit some plants, butterflies on others, and bees by the 100s on this really cute annual salvia that's blue I got on clearance from Walmart for $1 in a gallon bucket. You know one of those things, that's a cute 6" mound when you buy it, and before you know it, the darn thing is almost 3' across, but never stops blooming...my kind of plant. I've also fouind hummers hitting the blooms on hostas quite a lot. My hostas are flushing blooms for a 2nd time, they are really rootbound and need divided, but the hummers hit each bloom in the mornings on their way through the yard. I have 6 of them now. I have a feeder right at the bottom steps on my porch, and we sit about 2' from them and listen to them chirp and feel them buzzing our heads while we watch them. I'm hoping to expand my salvia collection by a bunch next year, add at least the white greggii, and some more vitex. They used to hit the vitex in Te xas a lot, as well as the desert willow trees.

spacecowgirl, those seeds your collecting from a cultivar will probably revert to its "natural" color. Try cuttings. Apricot, too!

monterey, that Black and Blue is a must have. S. splendens for a red?

I've got 12 cutting trying to root right now. Did get one to take already...it's the hot pink one. The fushia will be started today, and apricot tomorrow. I'm getting different collor of plastic solo cups for each vareity so I can readily tell them apart...cheatin I guess.

Different colored cups? Good idea! Do you need a rooting hormone for salvias? What growing medium are you using? I need to do some propagating, too. Save some $$$$!

I'm using promix and schultz rooting hormone. Not that I'm an expert by any means, and keeping them misted in the shade or in the greenhouse. I wet the promix, used the roottone, and after making sure they were draining right, mist them 2-3 times a day, and keep them shaded. We'll see what happens. I have the bright pink done, one hot pink, and am going to do Apricot today. I know they are perennial, but you can never have enough of this litte bush around the yard in my eyes. As long as you trim, they bloom all season until freeze, and they get full and bushy...if you dont' trrim, leggy and a don't flower as well. Will let y'all know how it goes. Trying to root miniature vareigated gardenia and bottlebrush bush now too for fall swap meets.

Just curious, have you tried rooting this species w/o rooting hormone? I need to get starting some starts pdq!

Doesn't a nursery in your area have them ? They are all over here.

They sure do but, I'd rather do it on the cheap. :-D

Buy one and get a millon cuttings. Root hormone , cubes , waiting for something to germinate. This is the end of the season for new stuff that's why I like somewhat grown this late. I found the Black and Blue Salvia overgrown for $3 it's a 5gal size actually in a 4in pot. The bargains are there, and it's fun to hunt for them. My seed and cuttings are for next year. I want to enjoy the scene and prolong summer.

Right. Pay day is the first and I'll be "flush" with cash for a couple days. I'll be looking for those bargains. Wheelin' & dealin'! Time to start implementing next years garden already! :-D