Salvia is a popular plant here in Utah because it needs little more than sunshine and a touch of water now and then. It tolerates our dry heat as well as our cold winter temperatures. Once it’s established, salvia needs so little water, it even thrives in xeriscape gardens.
May Night Salvia in our cold frames.
But there is one complaint we hear from many gardeners: After a while, some varieties of salvia tend to get floppy and they don’t stand tall. This is particularly true of the older cultivars, including May Night, one of the most well-known of all the salvia varieties. May Night is stunning, but it will grow more horizontal and become floppy as the summer progresses.
May Night is beautiful with striking green foliage beneath stalks of purple-blue flowers, growing in a loose habit.
However, newer cultivars of salvia have been developed to address this issue. One of these is a line from Proven Winners called Color Spires®. This newer line of salvia grows much denser, with a more concentrated show of color in a neater, more compact habit. And they don’t flop over nearly as much as the older varieties.
Color Spires® 'Violet Riot' Salvia has a tighter, more upright growth habit than the older cultivars.
Two of our favorite Color Spires® salvia are 'Violet Riot’ and ‘Crystal Blue.’
‘Violet Riot’ salvia offers vivid violet blue flowers with deep purple calyxes from late spring into early summer. It’s similar to May Night, but with more flowers and a more vertical, dense habit.
Color Spires® 'Crystal Blue' Salvia is the first light blue salvia cultivar, and it still maintains a tight, upright, floriferous growth habit.
‘Crystal Blue’ is especially unique. It's the first salvia to produce a light sky blue color that will pop in any garden—especially if you plant it next to darker plants. Most perennial Salvias are darker purple, so this lighter shade of cool blue is sure to catch your attention. Plus, its dense, rounded clump of aromatic, gray-green foliage looks nice all season long.
'Crystal Blue' is loaded with upright spikes of stunning light blue flowers with a tighter growth habit.
Salvia of any variety is a great option if you’re flipping your strip from grass to perennials. It tolerates secondary water from Utah Lake, handles our dry heat and winter cold, and isn’t devoured by rabbits or deer. If you're considering salvia for your landscape, this blog is nowhere near conclusive, but it may get you started in your search for your favorite.
Now, some of you may be wondering, "What was that striking rose-colored salvia at the beginning of this article?" That's another new cultivar called LYRICAL Rose. It's loaded with bold flowers on upright stalks and it's sure to make a stunning addition to your garden.
