Salvia ‘Envy’ dark form: An elegant upright bushy perennial 1-1.2m with dark crimson/maroon tubular flowers most of the year.
Salvia ‘Envy’ dark form: is the darker crimson form of ‘Envy’.
Flowers: are long, tubular, dark wine coloured with a straight hood and exerted anthers and stigma, making the corolla look longer. The bottom lobes are curled back to open up the throat area for bees, pollinating insects and birds to penetrate the flower.
Although this will flower all year,the major flowering time is in the spring and summer, continuing well into autumn. Very bird friendly.
Flowers appear at the end of a green flowering stem, facing one direction, usually chasing the sun. These are held well above the foliage to attract passing birds and insects.
Calyces: are green with coloured tips and ribs. Slightly hairy with pointed tips. If unpollinated, the calyces will fall off, leaving a green flower stem.If pollinated, the calyces will develop a straw colour and remain until cut down.
Leaves: are midgreen, lanceolate in shape, pointed tip and small crenations along the edges. All stems are well clothed with leaves.
Salvia ‘Envy’ dark form: is a lovely upright shrubby perennial used as a filler behind smaller rounder shrubs. This makes a good back ground shrub in small gardens. When in flower, they certainly make a splash of colour and a draw card for birds to swing off their stems. the bright red brighten up any dark corners.
Easily grown in a sunny position, preferring full sun, but will tolerate a high branched deciduous tree. Not fussed about soil, but like a bit of water at the height of summer to keep those flowers blooming.
Plant either as a background plant to smaller subshrubs and perennials or groundcovers in blue/ purple, yellow or white or use as a filler among other tall perennials.
When most of the flowers have finished at the end of summer/ autumn, cut the stems right down, leaving a few nodes. Clean away any dead or old stems, feed and mulch to keep the crown warm in winter, feed again in spring and top up mulch to keep the roots cool during the hot months of summer.
Propagation: Easily propagated by tip cuttings from new growth – must be labeled ‘Red form’.