Black & Blue Salvia: How can I get rid of it?

I wish I'd known how invasive this is before I planted it. How many times has a gardener said that? This stuff has completely taken over a bed that's 4' x 10'. It's choked out every other think I've planted there. It's rolled right over angelonia, begonias, day lilies, mums, other salvias, everthing. It spreads by underground runners like mint. I'm pulling up bags full of it every morning. Does anybody know of a way to stop it? Kill it? Do I have to move?

That is about the only Salvia I don't have. Thanks for the warning. Other than pulling it up by the roots, and getting all the roots, I don't know. I just transplanted several and the have incredibly long roots systems.

Oh my ... and I love mine and it dont seem to multiply. I wonder if we are talking about the same plant?

I have a number of salvias and love them all except this one. I just can't get over how one little plant can go this crazy. I'll get a pick and post it to see if your's is the same thing. I think I need new batteries before I can take more pics, so it will be tomorrow.

I found a "before" and "after" pic of this stuff. Here's one taken last year about a month after planting it.

Crow, a friend of mine has one that has taken over a small bed and she finally removed other plants in it because of the runners. Maybe that's why it's called Black and Blue.....it takes a lickin and keeps on tickin LOL

And here is one taken about a week ago. It's spread even more since this was taken. The daylilies in the first pic are totally gone, as is the butterfly bush and perilla. The Black & Blue is the one on the left. The one on the right has much better color and is much better behaved. I just hate this one. I can see I'm going to have a battle forever in keeping it in bounds.

This message was edited May 16, 2008 1:12 PM

In your zone I'll bet it is indeed harder to keep it in check. Mine dies back to the ground every winter, then in the spring it does take a bit of extra time and diligence on my part to pull out the unwanted new growth or it would take over the 2 flowerbeds I have it in. But all in all, it's not that hard to keep it from taking it over in my zone.

Carla

Georgeous bed. I have B&B first year it didn't do much. This year it has really bushed out. I may reconsider the place I have it from what you say. However I don't mind it spreading where "I" allow it to.

Sheila_FW

I have heard this about black & blue before. Some of us have had a hard time growing it, though. Mine's in its third year and it's just now big enough to even notice. Pretty this year, but no sign of it spreading. I wonder what the different is?

Maybe its busy sowing those underground?:) I got mine planted underneath the shrubs, hopefully that will contain it. I think I better plant some on the neighbors side.

That is a beautiful bed! What is the other, better behaved, blue salvia on the right?
Tabitha

Crow, didn't you post not too long ago about fertilizing that bed? You may need to stop feeding that beast.lol It sure is pretty tho! The guaranticas form a tuber so if you are only pulling out new growth you may have to dig a bit deeper to keep it out.

I'm pretty sure the other one is Indigo Spires. I also have East Friesland and it's a lot shorter than the spires varities. I'm useing in as a front edging for another bed. I also have some Mystic Spires. I have taken the B&B out of the other beds it was in before it takes off. I guess I'm going to have to live with it in this one. I'll keep pulling it out to try to contain it and I sure won't ever fertilize it again.

If you don't want it to spread, why don't you plant them in "bottomless" pots in the ground. That is the only way I know to keep them in check.

..... sounds like a plan to me annette!

I'm glad I read this. I've been on a little salvia 'kick' this spring and although, I didn't purchase that particular salvia, I did buy several salvia leucanthas and a red one (the name isn't coming to me right now). I hope none of those become invasive. My 'coral nymph' salvia seeds itself all over the place. I planted it several years ago and they die off each winter but the seeds spread all over the bed. I really don't mind because they are a small salvia and look so delicate. Now, if I could just get them to seed all in one area to make a nice clump. I've tried gathering seeds but I'm always too late by the time I think about it and only gather a few....they are teeny.

Crow - your beds look great. I just love that angelonia.

crowellli, I planted my 'Black and Blue' in a large container. At the time, I did not know that it spread by runners. I am thankful that I did not plant it in the ground.It dies back each winter. I planted a Mexican Sage 'Port de Zorro' (Salvia mexicana) that has grown into a huge plant with woody stems and branches. I had to prune it because it has not frozen back in the winter the past 2 years. I would say the width is over 4 feet and the height was 4.5 feet before I pruned it. If you plant this, one give it plenty of room especially in zones 8b and above.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/80587/

Thanks for all the info. I really wish I'd planted in a pot, but the horse is already out of the barn, so to speak. I'm going to try to get rid of the whole thing. It's cool this morning, so I'm going to try to murder the B&B!

knolan, I have a pink one that I love, but I didn't label them as soon as I got home and I can't remember what they are. I should know better than trying to rely on my memory for more than an hour!

The roots of my salvia are black and hard as stone. Fungus? remove the plant? It's huge and roots are heavy.
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