Amistad Salvia, Friendship Sage

Description

An endless display of huge purple tubular flowers that emerge from dark colored calyxes are borne from spring to frost on this vigorous growing hybrid Salvia. Amistad Salvia begins flowering even when still small and your hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees will love you for its continuous supply of rich nectar. Give this big guy plenty of room because it can exceed 4' wide by the end of summer with a mature height of about 4'!Amistad Salvia was selected as a 2016 Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit Winner.
Amistad Salvia is thought to be a hybrid of Anise Sage, Salvia gauranitica and possibly Mexican Sage, Salvia mexicana. Evergreen in mild winter climates and it is known to tolerate temperatures as low as 20oF with anecdotal reports that it is root hardy well into zone 8 and 7B. It has been reliably hardy for us here in our zone 8B gardens providing summer long color and nectar for our Ruby Throat Hummingbirds as well as for larger butterflies and larger bees.

Salvias are considered the #1 plant for Hummingbirds with their tubular flowers designed for pollination by these amazing flyers. If your Salvia or Sage starts to look unkempt in mid to late summer consider giving it a light shearing or remove the spent flowering spikes to help promote new growth and flower production. An application of fertilizer at this time may also be beneficial in spurring flower production.