Salvia x sylvestris ‘Serenade’: is a herbaceous perennial, 20-30cmH with a basal clump of leaves and spires of mauve/ purple flowers in spring and summer. Plant in a sunny position.
Salvia x sylvestris ‘Serenade’ is s delightful small Salvia plant to have along a border.
Flowers: are a falcate type flower with a large curved white or very pale pink/ mauve colour. The stigma is very exerted at the tip.
The lower lobes are an attractive mauve colour, with the 2 side lobes either standing out or being tucked in beside the large middle lobe.
Most middle lobes are cupped to hold a drop of moisture and act as a landing place for bees and other pollinating insects. Once the flower has been visited, the bottom lobe begins to hang down, indicating that the flower has been visited. There are delicate marking at the throat indicating a beeline to entice the insects further into the flower.
Flowers are in whorls of 6 flowers around a green stem in regular intervals along a stem that could reach 30cmH.
Although most of the stems appear in spring and summer, flower stems still appear in autumn before the plant goes down for winter.
Calyces: these are green, slightly hairy, ribbed with broad lobes. They will remain on the stem after the flowers have finished, but will eventually drop off if not fertilised.
Leaves: are a lovely mid green colour, long and broad with a pointed apex and long petioles. Like many x sylvestris hybrids, they have a flat appearance in their small basal clump. Leaves are slightly notched with rounded crenulations along the edges.
|
|
|
|
Salvia x sylvestris ‘Serenade’ makes a wonderful border plant along a path or as a pot plant.
It looks wonderful masse planted en masse in a mixed border. Plant with other perennials and small shrubs. Loving the sun, it looks a picture planted with other white, vibrant pinks and pale blue plants.
Plant in full sun in well drained soil. Once established , they can prove quite hardy over the summer season, but does like extra waterings over dry periods during the summer.
Maintenance: this is an easy plant to maintain, it provides a neat clump, looking good when mulched. This keeps the roots cool in summer and if topped up when the plant goes down for winter, the mulch keeps the crown warm, especially in cold areas.
When going down, clean away old leaves and top up the mulch. Place a marker by the crown so it doesn’t accidentally get dug up or trodden upon.
Propagation: mainly by seed, but slips of new growth can be taken when the leaves appear before the flower stems appear. Some slips can be found at the end of the season when it is increasing the clump. If the clump is large, then it can be divided and replanted.
See the propagation page on tips for seed sowing and how to take and prepare cuttings.
Not readily available