Salvia guaranitica

Taxobox
name = "Salvia guaranitica"


regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Lamiales
familia = Lamiaceae
genus = "Salvia"
species = "S. guaranitica"
binomial = "Salvia guaranitica"
binomial_authority = A.St.-Hil. ex Benth.

"Salvia guaranitica" (Anise-scented sage or Hummingbird sage) is a species of sage native to South America, including Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.

It is a perennial subshrub growing 1-3 m tall. The leaves are ovate, 4-13 cm long, mint green, and anise-scented when crushed. The inflorescences are up to 25 cm long, with each flower 3-5 cm long in varying shades of blue, with a dark basal calyx 10-12 mm long. Flowering begins in mid summer and continues till mid autumn.

Cultivation

"Salvia guaranitica" is a popular ornamental plant in mild areas where the temperature does not fall below −12 °C. It grows in either full or three quarter sunlight, in well drained soil.

Numerous cultivars have been selected, including 'Argentine Skies' (pale blue flowers), 'Black and Blue' (very dark violet blue calyx), 'Blue Enigma', 'Blue Ensign' (large blue flowers), and 'Purple Splendor'.