Salvia coccinea ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’: a small bushy shrub to 30cm H, enjoying a sunny / semi shaded position with lavender flowers in summer.
Salvia coccinea ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’: can be grown as an annual or perennial, if protected from cold weather.
Flowers: are semi tubular, but can be a little shy to appear. These flowers are a lovely dusky lavender colour with a paler hood and exerted white stamens. The bottom lobe is a little darker than the rest of the flower with a small pale patch around the throat to guide the bees further into the flower.
Masses of flowers show on short flower stems in whorls of 6-8 flowers. These appear above the foliage to attract passing insects. As there are multiple stems with masses of flowers, these really attract the bees. You can hear them humming during summer.
Calyces: are a bright green, slightly ribbed with pointed lobes. Flower stems are green and slightly hairy. During the summer months the calyces will dry and rattle with seed in the wind.
Leaves: a dull green, cordate in shape, slightly hairy with soft crenations around the edges. All stems are well clothed
Salvia coccinea ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’: makes an interesting mauve colour foil to other strong colours in the border. This colour goes very well with whites and pale pink and soft yellow perennials.
This mauve colour can be matched with other strong purple colours, usual at the base of stronger colours.
Grown en masse, this plant can be a wonderful sight. Plant in a sunny protected area from frost and wind.
When most of the flowering season is over, cut off the old flower stems, neaten by cutting out any dead wood, cutting back to a good green bud.
Feed and mulch well to keep the root area warm during winter, top up in spring to keep cool during the hot summer months.
Propagation: As seen may be unreliable for the colour to come true, it is best to take tip cuttings to ensure the correct colour.
A nice plant for the border – best planted in a row or en masse to make that impact. Propagated easily from cuttings to keep the flower colour.