Height: 3 feet
Spacing: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Other Names: Perennial Salvia
Description:
A year round blooming variety producing striking violet and lavender bi-colored blooms held by dusty pink calyxes, against a backdrop of grassy green, highly textured leaves; requires pruning to maintain shape
Ornamental Features
Semiatrata Salvia has masses of beautiful spikes of violet flowers with lavender overtones and pink calyces rising above the foliage from late winter to late fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant oval leaves remain emerald green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
Semiatrata Salvia is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Semiatrata Salvia is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Semiatrata Salvia will grow to be about 32 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.
Semiatrata Salvia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
