Salvia ‘Cerise Velvet’ ( microphylla): a bushy small subshrub to 60 cm H, with cerise flowers for a full sun position.
Salvia ‘Cerise Velvet’: was found locally here in Victoria with in a garden setting.
Flowers: are cerise with the hood being a slightly lighter colour to match the paler pink beeline at the throat. The bottom lobe is large, slightly split, often folding downwards to show the opening of the throat more clearly for visiting bees and insects.
Flowers open as cerise with very little fading as they age. These are held in small clusters in pairs at the end of small green flowering stems above the foliage to attract bees and insects.
Once in flower, these continue to flower for most of the year until trimmed, but will return to flowering within a few weeks.
Calyces: are green, with crimson colouring, especially on the exposed side. These are densely ribbed with pointed lobes.
Leaves: are a mat mid green, lanceolate with a slight undulation, a few crenations along the edge, thin textured and an interesting vein pattern.
Salvia ‘Velvet Cerise’: is a sturdy, reliable Salvia for any garden. Always in flower, adding a gorgeous cerise colour to the garden. Plant in the foreground as a border or behind a low ground covers. This Salvia clips well so can be used as an informal hedge.
Plant with other similar shrubby perennials or with other white, blue purple or pale pink coloured small shrubs and perennials. Very bee friendly.
Liking a sunny position, it is summer and winter hardy, tolerating a light frost.
Pruning: Before the onset of winter, it is best to trim and clean out the plant. Cutting out any dead or twiggy stems. Cut stems down to a good green bud. The new growth will revitalize the bush during winter ready for flowering in a few weeks.
Propagation: is usually by tip cuttings taken from new growth at any time of year.
Note: S. ‘Cerise Velvet’ is often confused with S. microphylla ‘Cerise’, but this begins as a lovely crimson colour on dark flower stems with a dark calyx, but fades to a cerise colour as the flower ages.