Salvia, Blue Anise Sage, Brazilian Sage 'Argentine Skies'

I gave this a positive rating, as it grows in my zone 6a garden in the Buffalo, NY area. I have it up against the South wall of my house,...Read More along side Salvia black and blue. It is not as floriferous as the black and blue, but it looks nice together. They both attract hummingbirds. I mulch for hardiness. It has come back reliably for 5 years now. Even after a winter with average 20° F high in February, and a few nights of -10°F lows during that month.

Not as vigorous as other salvias, wonderful pastel blue flowers. Mine is planted in part sun. Having said that, if this salvia is plant...Read Moreed in an area that gets water regularly, it will spread. Just this morning I thinned it out by 50% and it still left me a 4' x 4' patch of this beauty.

In the spring I planted one four-inch tall 'Argentine Skies' plant in a dry, sunny area of my garden where I couldn't get much to grow. I...Read Moret rewarded me with amazing growth by summer, reaching almost 4 feet tall. The flowers are gorgeous, and the scent of the leaves is amazing. In my garden, 'Argentine Skies' is not as vigorous as 'Black and Blue' and 'Sapphire', but it is a great plant all the same. This plant enjoys a good drink once a week unless it's really hot- then an extra watering or two keeps it happy.

One of my favorite activities is watching all the bees and hummingbirds flock around these plants. It's really funny to see the huge bumblebees try to get to the nectar of these narrow flowers. Many bees 'cheat' to get to the nectar; they make a small hole in the calyx of the flower to get to it. I have enough hummingbirds to ensure pollination of them, though!

Argentine Skies performs well in dry conditions, and is not as invasive as the straight species form. The pale blue flowers are an unusua...Read Morel soft color and mix well with pastel shades.