| Habit | shrub
| |
|---|---|---|
| Height: | ⇕ | 26 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 26. |
| Width: | ⇔ | 10 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 10. |
| Lifespan: | ⌛ | perennial |
| Bloom: | ❀ | early summer, mid summer, late summer, early fall, mid fall, late fall |
| Exposure: | ☼ | sun |
|---|---|---|
| Features: | ✓ | flowers |
| Minimum Temp: | ☃ | 25°F269.261 K <br />-3.889 °C <br />484.67 °R <br /> |
| USDA Zones: | 9 to 11 | |
| Flower features: | ❀ | red, orange, yellow, pink |
|
Salvia > |
Salvia gesneriiflora is a herbaceous perennial or subshrub native to mountainous provinces of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico, growing at 7,500-10,000 ft elevation. It was named in honor of 15th century Swiss botanist Conrad Gessner, for whom the genus Gesneria and family Gesneriaceae are also named. The long tubular flowers of this salvia resemble Gesneria flowers.[1]
In its native habitat, it is reported to grow up to 25 ft high, though in cultivation it only reaches 5-6 ft high and 3-4 ft wide due to pruning from wind breakage and by gardeners. Hard annual pruning prevents the plant from breakage. The plant has many woody stems very heavy with foliage that break easily in wind and rain. The heart-shaped leaves are mid-green, very aromatic, and graduated in size. The large flowers grow up to 1.5 in long, and are a vivid orange-red, held in a 1.5 in yellow-green calyx tinged with purple glands. They grow abundantly in tightly spaced whorls on 8-12 in long inflorescences. It blooms in late winter and early spring, with hard annual pruning (down to leaf nodes near the ground) recommended after blooming. The plant will grow back to 6 ft in one season.[1]
In a 1970 collecting trip to Mexico by Huntington Botanical Gardens, two distinct varieties were collected—one with the more common green calyx, and one with a purple calyx and stem which was given the cultivar name 'Tequila'. A seedling selected from 'Tequila' around 1979 was named 'Mole Poblano', though there is some evidence that it is not distinct from 'Tequila'.[1]
Cultivation
A large, evergreen perennial salvia from Mexico. Woody at base, 12-15 feet high. "Mountain form" grows to only 8" high. Can be kept to 5 or 6' high by keeping trimmed in summer after bloom. Has 1.5 - 2" vermillion flowers. 'Tequila' variety has deep brown calyxes and flower stems. Grows in full sun or part shade. Blooms winter to spring. Will take clay soil. Fairly drought tolerant. Hardy to about 25 degrees F.
Propagation
Pests and diseases
Varieties
Gallery
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Clebsch, Betsy; Carol D. Barner (2003). The New Book of Salvias. Timber Press. p. 129. ISBN 9780881925609. http://books.google.com/books?id=NM0iwB8GrQYC&pg=PA129.
External links
- w:Salvia gesneriiflora. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Salvia gesneriiflora QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)