Salvia ‘Christine Yeo’ : A small leaf shrubby spreading perennial to 20cm H. with mauve /purple flowers, flowering in Summer and Autumn.
Salvia ‘ Christine Yeo’: was named after Christine Yeo a former holder of the Salvia Collection in England.
Flowers: are a mauve pink colour. The narrow mauve furry hood has a white stripe down the centre to match the large white beeline around the throat. This area acts as a landing place and a guide for the insect to enter the flower. The middle lobe is often cupped with a slightly frilly edge.
Flowers appear mainly throughout summer and autumn. If overshadowed too much by nearby shrubs or trees, it can be shy to flower, but bees enjoy this small very attractive flower.
Calyces: are green with dark blue ribs with long pointed lobes. These are in whorls of 2-4 flowers, all along a dark blue/ grey flowering stem, well above the foliage to attract passing insects.
Leaves: are small, a dull grass green colour, quite distinctly textured and veined, a cordate shape,small crenations along the margins. The surface isfissured to guide any moisture down the stems towards the roots.
‘Christine Yeo’ is easy to grow, a tough hardy Salvia for the foreground. As a groundcover, plant with other brightly coloured small shrubs and perennials.
It is hardy for summer heat and winter cold, tolerating light frosts. As the plant spreads nicely it makes a good filler for those areas on banks and slopes, for those hot sunny spots. Grow with other clumping plants in front of small shrubs and perennials.
At the end of autumn when the plant might be looking a bit straggly, it’s time to trim and clean up the plant. Look a the shape, trimming any wayward shoots, cutting out dead or twiggy stems.
Having perennial growth, this Salvia can be trimmed by shears down by half.
When completed, feed and mulch well to keep the root area cool during the hot summer months.
Propagation: is usually by tip cuttings, taken at any time of year.