Salvia karwinskii ‘Verdi’: is a medium to tall bushy shrub 1.5-2mH with watermelon brushes of flowers in late winter through to summer.
Salvia ‘Verdi’: is a green version of it’s parent.
Flowers: are long, tubular, watermelon pink in colour. The furry hood is small, but about the same length as the bottom lobes. These are folded down and underneath to open up the throat area to allow better access for bees and small birds with long beaks.
Flowers are held in whorls of 8 flowers with 4 flowers open at one time with the others wait their turn when the first 4 have finished.
These are held in regular intervals on a long slightly hairy green stem, way above the foliage to attract passing insects and birds.
Flowers are seen in late winter, through Spring and into early summer.The parent plant flowers for a longer period. When in flower the flower stem can have a similar fragrance to the parent.
Calyces: are completely green, slightly hairy with each lobe being pointed and often the tip is curled back. This is very noticeable in the bud with a curled pointed tip. If flowers are not pollinated, the calyces will drop off, leaving a green flowering stem.
Leaves: are green rather than grey, large lanceolate in shape but are inverted along the midrib, so they look as if they are drooping. The texture is softer than the parent, with the underneath being quite pale and veins raised. Leaf petioles are pale with masses of soft white hairs.
Leaves have a similar fragrance to the parent, but not as strong.
During the cooler months, often the leaves develop burnished colouring along the edges which makes the shrub very attractive.
Salvia ‘Verdi’ is a good medium shrub for the middle of the bed or as a good background shrub in a small bed. Attracting bees and small birds to flit through it’s branches.
Plant in a sunny position, with other red, crimson, or blue flowered shrubs with white, red or pinkish perennials in front.
As S.’Verdi’ is fairly cold and frost tolerant, the burnishing colours that appear in the winter months certainly add to it’s attractiveness.
As the leaves have this drooping effect, it’s best to have a drip hose during the hot summer months to lessen this effect.
At the end of spring, early summer when the flowering has finished, then cut down any old stems to encourage new growth. Cut out any dead, twiggy and leggy stems, leaving strong upright stems to reinvigorate the shrub.
Feed and mulch well to keep the root area cool during the hot summer season.
Propagation: is usually by tip shoots taken at any time of year.