Exploding Salvia

Several years ago, I bought a salvia, a 3 foot tall plant with a spike of purple blossoms. I have no tag remaining to detail the plant better. The first summer, it did will in a half wooden barrel, growing with several other perennials. The second year it exploded. There was no vertical stem, only side shoots which sprawl throughout the planter.

Remaining in the planter are the Salvia and a Phylagius 'New Sensation' both of which I am considering digging out to put in the new garden.

Is the salvia asking to be divided? Did I miss doing something to keep this from happening? Should I not have cut it back at the end of the first year? If I divide it, will the divisions stand up, or am I hosed, and should relegate this to the compost bin?

And you're sure it's a salvia?

So does it come back from the ground each year and then the stems lay flat? Is that what you're saying? Or is it woody and has limbs coming out from some central wood?

Absolutely sure it is a salvia. Yes, it comes up from the ground every year, and has stems laying over. Some touching the ground, but many between 20 and 45 degrees off horizontal. I can see a little ring of buds forming right now.

Salvia here sometimes have trouble at the crown due to rot because we have so much rain. For that reason it's important to have good drainage and to make sure the saliva's crown is well-clear of standing water (so the crown should be a little bit higher than the surrounding soil so the water can run off). Some people put small gravel at the base of the salvia. It may be that the center of your salvia's crown is diseased and so it's sending out shoots from the side?

That's the extent of any information I can give you - you'd probably have great luck on the salvia forum or on the cottage-gardening forum as they use a lot of salvia.

I'll be very interested in knowing what you find out!!

Same here - I've been watching this thread today to see what you came up with!

I'm kinda curious,too,as my climate is even wetter than yours and I've had trouble with overwintering salvia.

This message was edited Mar 23, 2008 4:11 PM

Sounds like its time to compost it. Basically if it can't handle the weather, it has no place in my garden.

Not totally a salvia expert.... but I know some of them tend to be nearly invasive. So, those side shoots, might just be it's sprawling tendency? I have what's called a bog sage (don't remember the "real" name) but I've been told if I don't keep it in a container, I would find it really sprawling. This spring, I'm finding many many sprouts coming up around the edge of the container. I wonder what it would do in the ground. Not sure if that's what you're seeing or not.... I know my salvia elegans (pineapple sage) has really spread since I put in the ground.... just a thought!

Sanna

AD - don't compost it. Give it to someone who likes all the idiosyncracies of Salvia at the next trade.

Good thought Katie. I will let it go, and trade it off.

And I will look at what it is doing. Maybe it has quit its nasty habit, and could be moved on over.

How about a pic, so we can see, would like to know. I have saliva too.
that I have planted in the ground.

Unfortunately no pics from previous years. And right now its only shoots. Leaf mass of about 18" tall and in diameter, with a 3 foot stalk of medium purple flowers about July/August.

I wonder if its the 'Black and Blue' the one I have, has not spread but only around the base of the stalk.I have only had it for a short time.

I've got a salvia that flops horribly, it does not get enough sun where it is now. (Trees grow-who knew? ;) ) It pretty much has been growing horizontally. Any chance that yours needs more light? Phygelius seem to be able to handle less sun than salvia.

Black and Blue Salvia does spread out, but you just dig it up and divide it - no problem.

I know this saliva it is all over in my garden big with side shoots that are purple. It is coming up in the lower garden when you walk to the nursery. The Latin name starts with a f. I will go look at the nursery. It is tough as nails and very pretty. Heidi

Right now the plant in question is a mound of fuzzy leaves about 2 inches high, and 6 inches around. The barrel is on the west side of my house and gets sun from noonish to sunset daily. The sun gets blocked by trees as it sets, but I doubt it plays a big factor. This plant is not leggy reaching for the light, I suspect that as Katie said, the plant sent out root suckers horizontally either due to crown rot or my cutting off the main stem.

Rob