Salvia superba ‘Adora Blue’: is a herbaceous perennial, 20-30cmH with mauve/ blue spikes of flowers in spring and summer. Grow in a sunny position.
Salvia ‘Adora Blue’ is a gorgeous low growing perennial that is perfect as a border of a path or in a mixed bed.
Flowers: are a falcate type, with very pale blue/mauve coloured flowers. A straight or slightly curved hood. The 2 side lobes are tightly bound with the middle lobe. all bottom lobes are a darker colour than the hood. The bottom lobe is cupped to hold a drop of moisture and act as a landing place for bees and other pollinating insects. After a bee has visited the flower, the bottom lobe drops downwards, indicating that the flower has already been visited.
Flowers are in whorls of 6 flowers around a green stem, forming a dense head, approx 15-20cm long. The whole inflorescence is branched with 2 opposite flower heads beneath to extend the flowering period over the summer months. Most clumps produce multiple stems.
Flowers begin to appear in mid to late spring after the clump of basal leaves has been formed, continuing to flower throughout the summer season. These appear well above the foliage to attract any passing insects.
Calyces: Both the small bracts and calyces are coloured, giving the whole flower head a purplish colouring.The bracts remain under each whorl until the flowers have finished then fall away. Each calyces is well ribbed and has long slender lobes with pointed tips. Calyces will remain on the stem after the flowers have finished, turning a straw colour if pollinated, if not, they may begin to fall off.
Leaves: are slender, small, a mid green, lanceolate shape with a slightly rugose surface and fine rounded crenulations around the edge. at the beginning of spring when the clumps first emerge, the clump is formed first before sending up flowering stems. These are fairly short with one or two pairs of sessile stem leaves appearing beneath the inflorescence.
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Salvia ‘Adora Blue’ is one of many beautiful small Salvias that can be used as a border plant or grown en masse in a mixed border. The real attraction is that the plant produces multiple tall upright flowering stems that attract bees and other pollinating insects.
Grow in full sun with good drainage, as it hates wet feet in winter when dormant.; grow with other small shrubs, grasses and perennials in colours that compliment the hues of mauves/ blue, that can promote the flower heads. Perhaps soft yellows and pinks, with only a few whites, or richer purples, blues and pinks and yellows, adding a contrast to the paler colour palette.
Once established, this plant is tough and hardy for the summer months, appreciating extra watering during the driest months.
Maintenance: As this becomes winter dormant, clean up old leaves, cut off old flower stems by half. It is always best to leave some stem as a marker, so it’s not trodden upon or accidentally dug up. Mulch well to keep the crown warm over the cold months. In late winter, begin to feed to get the plant growing well and feed again as the flower stems appear and regularly during the flowering period. Keep up the mulch to keep the soil moist. Make sure each clump is labelled.
Propagation: usually by seed sown in late winter on a hot bed, but cuttings can be made when the stems have approx 3 nodes, these should be treated as cuttings. If the clump is large, some small side shoots can be eased out with roots (slips), these should be potted up as cuttings, to promote more strong roots. See the propagating page for cuttings and propagating mix.
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