Salvia oppositiflora
Plants with tiny flowers and soft lax growth don't get much attention and are not the first choice with buyers in garden centres in an age of big and bold plants, hedges and grasses. Add to that sensitivity to frost and the appeal diminishes further. I like this small growing Salvia for the unique colour and shape of the flowers which could best be described as narrow tubes of pastel orange appearing opposite each other on thin stems (hence the species name.) I picked up this plant at a garden fete and have yet to see it offered as a commercial plant in the Nursery trade.
It has been in cultivation for some time having been discovered in its native Peru in 1798 by Hipolito Ruiz and Jose Pavon who went on to include it in their Flora of Peru. It has been in cultivation in the Northern Hemisphere as a conservatory plant since the early part of the 19th century. It is thus ideal for growing as a container specimen and perhaps even kept on a bench where the delightful flowers could be viewed at close range.
2017 update: I no longer have this Salvia unfortunately.
It has been in cultivation for some time having been discovered in its native Peru in 1798 by Hipolito Ruiz and Jose Pavon who went on to include it in their Flora of Peru. It has been in cultivation in the Northern Hemisphere as a conservatory plant since the early part of the 19th century. It is thus ideal for growing as a container specimen and perhaps even kept on a bench where the delightful flowers could be viewed at close range.
2017 update: I no longer have this Salvia unfortunately.
Hi Ian, I saw this at the Collectors' Fair and wish I had bought one now. Interesting to know its background.
ReplyDeleteAre these the same plants which are afterwords known as Salvia ?
ReplyDelete