| Description | Salvia Blue Ensign (Salvia guaranitica) is a tender perennial grown as an annual in colder hardiness zones. In warmer zones it can reach over 36 inches. Can be used in a drier gardens once established. |
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| Pronunciation | (SAL-vee-a)(gar-an-IT-i-ca) |
| Plant Type | Annuals, Perennial Tender |
| Hardiness Zone | 8a |
| Sunlight | full, mostly sunny |
| Moisture | average, drier once established |
| Soil & Site | average, well drained |
| Temperature | They are heat-tolerant and tolerate light frost down. |
| Flowers | Flowers are vibrant, two-lipped, tubular blossoms on upright spikes, with a distinct hood-like upper lip and a shorter lower lip, surrounded by a contrasting green or dark calyx that resembles a parrot's beak. Nectar is hidden inside and attracts hummingbirds and bees, making it a striking pollinator magnet. The green sepals at the base of the flower are fused, a condition called gamosepalous. |
| Roots | swollen tuberous roots |
| Dimensions | 3-5 feet tall by a spread of around 2 plus feet in warmer climates |
| Maintenance | Divide every 2-3 years to maintain vigor, can be pinched or cut back early in the season to control height |
| Propagation | division, cuttings |
| Misc Facts | Species plant native to: Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil, South America. First described in 1933. |
| Notes & Reference | #51-Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials (Alan Arimitage), #87-The New Book of Salvias (Betsy Clebsch), #223- The Plant Lovers Guide to Salvias (John Whittlesey) |
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