What is flowering now
Salvia ‘Unplugged Pink’
Salvia ‘Unplugged Pink’: is or flower for the January.
This is a low to medium growing bushy perennial 1mH, with upright stems of pink/purple spires through spring and summer, enjoying a sunny protected position.
Salvia ‘Unplugged Pink’ has a dynamic colour combination of pink and purple coloured flowers
Flowers: are large, tubular with striking pink/ purple coloured flowers. The hood is large, covered with the same coloured pink hairs and all the lower lobes are fused together to form a slender but flared out lower lobe. A faint pale beeline can be seen around the throat. As the lower lobes flatten out, this acts as a landing place for bees and other pollinators.
Flowers are in whorls around a dark coloured stem, usually 6-8 flower, all facing in one direction, usually towards the light, away from the centre of the bush. Whorls are fairly close together, emphasizing the depth of colour of the flowers. Flowering stems can be 15 -20cm long, held well above the foliage to attract passing bees and other pollinating insects.
Most flowers appear in late spring , continuing through out the summer and possibly into autumn if the spent flower heads are regularly deadheaded.
Calyces: are a dark crimson, held in whorls of 6- 8 around the stem. Lobes are ribbed and pointed. Similar to a S. splendens calyx.
All calyces are facing in the same direction, away from the centre of the shrub. These will remain for some time after the flowers have finished.
Leaves: are a broad ovate shape, bright green in colour and deeply veined. Petioles are a dark crimson/ purple. Most stems are well clothed until the flower stem
Salvia ‘Unplugged Pink’ has a multiple combination gene pool of various Salvias. The most evident is S. guaranitica, which shows by the flower spikes all facing outwards in the one direction and S. splendens showing in the calyces.
This shrubby perennial makes a good tight clump, growing to 80cm – 1mH. Having the gene of S.guaranitica, the plant may expand gradually over a few seasons, but should remain in a well formed clump.
Plant in a sunny protected position where it has protection from harsh winds, hot sun in summer and frost in winter. It will always enjoy some extra water during the hot summer season. Having the S.guaranitica gene, there is a good chance that the shrub may be herbaceous in cold areas in winter, but should reappear in spring.
Grow with other similar small shrubs and perennials either as a contrasting colour with other pale pinks and whites or in a rich combination of purples, electric and dark blues and other vibrant pinks, making a dazzling display of coloured Salvias.
Maintenance: Keep dead heading flower heads when finished to encourage more flowers, feed regularly during the growing season and mulch well to keep the roots cool in the summer season and warm during winter.
Keep a watch for snails and slugs in spring when those fresh leaves appear.
Propagation: As this plant doesn’t produce seed readily, the easiest way to propagate is via cuttings taken from new growth produced in spring and early summer before flower spikes appear.
