Salvia flocculosa: is a medium upright shrub 1.2mH with fragrant leaves and spires of pale blue flowers most of year.
Salvia flocculosa provides that blue element to the garden most of the year
Flowers: are small, pale blue to colbolt blue. The hood is sizable, being covered with blue grey hairs, but not distracting from the middle bottom lobe with it’s dominant white beeline down the centre. This is a vivid marking, guiding bees and insects into the flower. As the lobe is facing downwards, this also provides a landing place for those insects. The 2 side lobes are small and tucked neatly into the side of the middle lobe.
The space between the hood and the lobes is quite open, giving plenty of room for the bees to enter the corolla.
Flowers are in whorls of 4-6 flowers placed regularly along the green square flower stem. These flower heads are found well above the foliage to attract any passing bees and pollinating insects. Looking like a mass of blue candles over the bush.
Although this shrub keeps flowering non stop. It does have a small break at the end of summer, before it comes back into flower during winter.
Calyces: These are a grey blue colour and fairly blunt. Lots of small hairs appear along the ribs giving it the appearance of being furry.
These fall off if the flower is not pollinated, leaving a small bare stem.
Leaves: are lanceolate, a pale green, but even paler beneath. Thin textured, smooth with a lovely soft feel, especially when young, they become firmer as they age. Tips are blunt and small soft crenulations along the edges.
These leaves are highly fragrant, a subtle and pleasant fragrance can be found in all parts of the stem.
Salvia flocculosa is a great filler shrub, being 1- 1.2mH if makes a perfect back drop to a small hedge, especially if planted in a group/ row of 3-5 plants.
This is a shrub that needs trimming regularly to get that fresh leaf look. with new leaves, new flowers will appear. Keeping the shrub trimmed will prevent the shrub from becoming spindly.
A great shrub to plant with other similar sized shrubs and tall perennials, as the blue of the flowers stand out from pinks, whites and yellows. Plant in full sun. Once established, this Salvia is a tough, hardy plant, coping with the summer season, the winter cold and frosts.
A good plant to have near a path as when brushed past, it gives off a lovely fragrance from the leaves.
The bees and other pollinating insects love these flowers
Maintenance: As mentioned, this shrub needs a regular trim at the end of summer/ autumn to produce a crop of fresh looking leaves.
Clean out any dead or twiggy growth. feed well and mulch well to keep the root area warm during a cold winter , then top up in spring to keep the roots cool over the hot dry summer season.
Propagation: Take tip cuttings of new growth, rather than older stems, which may be spindly. For more information, visit the propagation page.