Salvia x sylvestris ‘Tanzerin’: is a herbaceous perennial 60cmH with basal leaves and narrow spikes of purple flowers in spring and summer.
Salvia x sylvestris ‘Tanzerin’ is a very upright colourful perennial to have in the garden.
Flowers: are of a falcate type flower with a wide opening between the hood and the lower lobes. All parts of the flower are a blue mauve.
The hood is straight with a white stigma exerted from the tip, the bottom lobe is cupped to hold a drop of moisture and act as a landing place for pollinating insects. The 2 side lobes jut out to the side rather than being nicely tucked in.
Flowers are in whorls of 4-6flowers in dense spikes with small crimson bracts beneath each whorl , these will eventually drop off as the flowers finish. Flower heads can be branched or single, often flower heads will reach 30cm long, these appear well above the foliage to attract passing bees or pollinating insects.
Multiple spires of these mauve and crimson flower heads are produce in early spring and continue well into summer, producing a long flowering period.
Calyces: are a crimson violet colour, with purple hairs along the ribs and pointed lobes. Calyces remain after the flower has finished becoming a dark straw colour as the flower head matures with seed.
Leaves: are a mid green, long, lanceolate with a pointed tip and small crenulations along the edges. Leaves are in alternate position along the stem to receive as much sun as possible. Basal leave have small petioles but become sessile as they move up the stem with a small pair sitting beneath the beginning of the flower head.
Grow in full sun, in groups of 3-5 plants with other similar coloured herbaceous, evergreen perennials and small shrubs. When grown en mass they make a wonderful display with their multiple stems of mauve flowers and crimson violet bracts which contrast well with other colours of whites, rich blues, pale pinks and soft yellows.
Not fussy with soil, but should be well drained. If the soil is too heavy without enough compost/ plant matter incorporated, then there is a chance that the crown will rot and not appear again in spring.
Once established, these plants can be tough and hardy during summer with the occasional extra watering during the dry periods.
Maintenance: During the growing season, mulch well to keep the root area cool during the hot dry summer. During Autumn when the plant is preparing to go down for winter, collect any seed that may have formed, cut down all flower stems and clean up the leaf base. Mulch the crown to keep the root area warm during the cold months of winter.
When the leaves begin to appear, then feed well and top up the mulch.
Propagation: usually by seed sown in warmer weather, but any large clumps can be divided or small new growths can be taken off either as cuttings or potted up as rooted slips. for more tips, visit the propagation page.
Not readily available