Salvia ‘Kate Glenn’ ( nemerosa): is a herbaceous perennial 40-60cmH with spikes of mauve/ purple flower in summer.
Salvia ‘Kate Glenn’: was named by David Glenn of Lambley Nursery.
Flowers: are small, a mauve/ purple colour, falcate in shape with the hood being slightly paler than the other lobes. Both the hood and the lobes are approx the same length. The hood having a few soft hairs and the purple stigma curling over the top.
The lower lobes are the same colour with the middle lobe reflexed downwards but cupped, this is to open the throat area to allow bees and insects to enter the flower more easily. The cupping of the middle lobe often catches a drop of dew for the insects resting on the lobe. Although most of the corolla is the same colour, there is a faint pale area around the throat acting as a beeline to guide the bees into the flower.
Flowers are held in masses of whorls along the flower spike. Often the crimson bract will remain until the flowers are spent. The crimson of the bract gives the whole flower spike a multi coloured dimension.
Whorls of 4-6 flowers are massed very close together on the flower stem which can be 20-30cm long. This massing of the whorls allows the flowering time to extend through mid spring into summer, sometimes into early autumn.
Each stem is divided into 3 spikes, forming a panicle. Each plant produces multiple number of stems giving a massed effect.
Calyces: are a crimson purple colour, very ribbed with each lobe having pointed tips. The bracts which may remain until the whorl of flowers is finished is a gorgeous crimson color. This is small and broad with very pointed tips.
If the flowers are pollinated, the calyces will remain, becoming straw coloured while the small seeds mature. These will remain until cut down at the end of summer or autumn.
Leaves: are a grass green colour, forming a rosette growth at the base of the plant. Leaves are long lanceolate shaped with pointed tapering tips. These appear in pairs with small petioles at the base of the flowering stems but become sessile as they appear closer to the actual flowering panicle.
Salvia ‘Kate Glenn’: produces a wonderful display when grown en masse. Plant as a border along a path or for extra colour in a mixed border bed. Best grown in full sun position.
Grow with other herbaceous Salvias to show the differences in colour between each variety. Show off the gorgeous effects of the crimson bracts with the purple, contrasting with whites, pale pinks or other dark varieties. Grown together en masse to create a magnificent display.
As these herbaceous Salvias are dormant for winter, they are frost hardy, but coming up in spring, the plants should be well feed and mulched well to keep the root area cool during the hot dry summer. Surprisingly, these nemerosa type Salvias are usually hardy during summer especially if given some supplementary watering as the dry season progresses, but not overhead watering which may produce mildew on the leaves.
At the end of the flowering season, after any seed is collected, cut the stems down by half only ( so you know the position of the plants when dormant) place a marker stick by each plant ( this prevents the plants being stepped upon accidentally).
Mulch the crown over the winter months and watch for any slugs or snails when the shoots begin to appear.
Propagation: either by seed, sown in late winter under glass or by dividing plants in late winter before the first shoots appear in spring. Small new shoots that have elongated sufficiently can be used as cuttings.
Not available – only from Lambley nursery