Salvia canariensis

 Salvia canariensis (Lamiaceae)

'The violet-mauve flowers emerge from large reddish calyces, underpinned by long coloured bracts which remain on the plant for a long time after flowering'; a description of this 1.5 metre shrub according to Oliver Filippi in his book The Dry Gardening Handbook.

I am having a crack at growing this Canary Island beauty but I suspect it may be short lived if we experience a rainy humid summer.The leaves have quite an acrid smell when crushed and remind me of turpentine mixed with fish oil. Flowers are large and prominent and this shrub would look good as a background plant to a Mediterranean herb border or mixed with succulents and grasses.
2017 update: I no longer have this plant.