Salvia ‘Brittany’: is our flower for May.
This is a medium to tall  bushy shrub 1.5-2mH with large ovate leaves and beautiful spikes of vermillion/ pink flowers and crimson calyces – so many colours in one head of flowers.

Flowers: are a bright vermillion orange tubular flower with a straight hood and small lower lobes facing downwards.
A slightly yellow marking around the throat area acts as a beeline  enticing  bees and other pollinating insects to land and  move towards the throat to find that nectar.
Flowers appear on a spike or flower head,approx 20cm long in whorls of 4 flowers with a good spacing between the whorls. Not all the flowers come out all at the same time; this helps to extend the flowering period. These flower heads are found  well above the foliage to attract passing insects.
Flowering begins in Autumn and will continue through out the winter months and should be completely finished by August/ September. 

Calyces: are a gorgeous crimson, very well ribbed and open, showing each lobe. These will fall off if the flowers are not pollinated, leaving a coloured stem which should be nipped off to keep the shrub looking good.

Leaves:  are a broad ovate shape, midgreen, well veined with small crenulations around the edges and a small pointed tip, each with a long slightly coloured petiole.

Salvia ‘Brittany’ is a tall form of  a S.elegans hybrid.

Although this will grow easily in warmer climes, to grow this in Melbourne, it will need protection from frost and any harsh cold winds. I grows well in the suburbs but not easily in the hills or in regional areas without good protection.
Grow this plant in a sunny protected  position, in among other similar sized shrubs to give their protection, but not in an area where it will be obscured from view. This is a beauty that must be seen when in flower.  
Not fussed with soil, but should be kept moist in summer and free draining.

In summer, keep well mulched to keep the root  area cool and warm in winter. It will need a semi shaded position in summer, perhaps under a deciduous tree.

Maintenance: when in flower, keep dead heading to promote more flowers and to keep the shrub looking at it’s best. It is best to give it a light prune after flowering to keep new shoots developing. A great opportunity to take cuttings. If not the stems and growth may become small with little new growth appearing – similar to any other  S.elegans hybrids, ‘Van Houtii’, ‘Desley’ to name a few Regular cutting back keep the shrub looking good.  Feed regularly  with any good fertiliser, liquid or pellet form 

Propagation: is usually by cuttings of new tip growth which can be taken most time of the year. See the propagation page for more tips on how to take cuttings.