Professional Growing Information I’ve grown these in my balcony rectangular railing planters for the last two seasons, and I just love them so much! This year with the milder weather, they kept blooming from shortly after planting in the early spring until late November when we had several days in a row of hard frost. They are a hit with bees, other pollinators, and hummingbirds. They’re not as tall and vigorous as the Rockin’ salvia, which is a good thing for smaller containers. Last season, I staked stems individually as needed when they started getting pretty tall, but this year I found they really benefited from using half-round plant stakes on the sunny side of my west facing covered balcony. I didn’t even notice the stakes after the plants grew in a bit, and it was much neater and lower maintenance. I planted them with a colorful mounding lantana on either side, and a trailing lantana in the front, and they make my balcony a real showstopper every year! I also really enjoy the birds and pollinators they attract!
Unplugged® So Blue™ Mealycup Sage Salvia farinacea
- Part Sun to Sun
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
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Details
14 - 24 Inches10 - 14 Inches12 - 16 Inches36cm - 61cm25cm - 36cm30cm - 41cmFeatures
True blue flowers on mid-sized plants that love heat, don't mind humidity and will bloom non-stop for months. A good sized plant, but not too large. It is right-sized for containers and good for use in landscapes as well.
Award WinnerContinuous Bloom or RebloomerLong BloomingFall InterestHeat TolerantDeadheading Not NecessaryDrought TolerantAttracts:BeesButterfliesHummingbirdsResists:DeerCharacteristics
Plant Type:AnnualHeight Category:MediumGarden Height:14 - 24 Inches 36cm - 61cmSpacing:10 - 14 Inches 25cm - 36cmSpread:12 - 16 Inches 30cm - 41cmFlower Colors:BlueFlower Shade:True BlueFoliage Colors:GreenFoliage Shade:Silvery GreenHabit:UprightContainer Role:ThrillerPlant Needs
Light Requirement:Part Sun to SunThe optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).
Maintenance Category:EasyBloom Time:Planting To Hard FrostHardiness Zones:8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10bWater Category:AverageSoil Fertility Requirement:Average SoilSoil Fertility Requirement:Poor SoilUses:Border PlantUses:ContainerUses:LandscapeUses:Mass PlantingUses Notes:A great plant for attracting pollinators. It works equally well in landscapes and containers and blooms for weeks on end.
Maintenance Notes:This is a wonderful annual Salvia (except in frost free zones), compact and richly colored, it is easy and trouble free. It will just bloom, and bloom and bloom all season without stopping.
You can easily trim to keep the shape or size where you want it, and it will branch out and become even thicker and more full of flowers. Although that should not be necessary.
Regular watering and fertilizing will keep the plant at maximum color and growth but it is amazingly tough and once established in a pot or the garden will tolerate lower levels of food and water. However, severe drought will cause lower leaves to drop and if this happens give it a quick haircut removing the upper 1/3 of growth and once it back to normal watering it will fill back in.
It is a big attractor of bees! They love the sweet nectar in the flowers, so place it accordingly; a bit farther from seating areas if bees are a concern. It is always great to have a plant that will support our native bees!!
Unplugged® So Blue™ Salvia farinacea 'G14251' USPP 32,695, Can 6,537 -
6 Reviews
5541321Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.-
Jersey Ray, New Jersey, United States, 2 weeks ago
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Amazing Plants to look at and a pollinators dream. These are the most prolific plants for bees of all kinds and worth every cent. They came perfectly packaged and very healthy. You won't be disappointed. I've bought this and Rockin' Playin' The Blues Mealycup Sage here at PW and at local nurseries who carry them. Love these. I'd like to share something with you about my experience from the RPTB but can be applied to this one as well. "I love these flowers and so many of the pollinators do to! I have several from the website and others I bought at nurseries. I'm heartbroken that we had a wind and rainstorm come thru and all of them collapsed with the bumblebees sleeping on them and not sure how many survived. From now on with these plants I'll be planting with square cages to keep them propped up. I don't care about the beauty they add to my home but the pollinators attraction and survival of them, so the presence of cages is minuscule. I have them planted in deep fabric pots and learned to not place them near birdbaths etc underneath or water too near the plants. I've had a couple drown by not realizing they can accidentally fall in. I'm just sharing my own learning experiences so others don't make the same mistakes. I'll be getting at least a half dozen next year and do a better job of protecting them from the elements when Mother Nature is in charge. I'm so sad right now." I hope this helps others so the same won't happen to you.
Bea, Virginia, United States, 1 year ago -
Striking look, the pictures do not capture the bright coloring, especially the vibrant blue stems. They're thriving in containers after about 2 months.
KC, 1 year ago -
the gardening season of 2020 was my first experience with this outstanding plant. It is so easy to care for in both beds and pots. It requires virtually no deadheading, has strong growth, blooms magnificently and consistently throughout the entire growing season and is a magnet for pollinators. I love the colour of the blooms. I planted it as a back drop for white daisies and pink geraniums. I could not have asked for stronger performance. I love it and will welcome it back next year to my zone 3-4 garden. in Manitoba.
Therese Koturbash, Manitoba, Canada, 4 years ago -
I planted 4 unplugged salvia in containers, near my vegetable garden. What a bee magnet! The blue flowers are simply gorgeous, I am in zone 5 and it is 8/30/2020, they still look great. I plan to buy 6 of these next spring.
greg, New Hampshire, United States, 4 years ago -
Grew in part sun In a container. Loved the blue stem. Beautiful plant
Cherie, Pennsylvania, United States, 4 years ago
37 Awards
Award Year Award Plant Trial 2022 Top Performer - In Ground South Dakota State - McCrory Gardens 2021 Top Performer Michigan State University 2021 Top Performer University of Florida - Fort Lauderdale 2021 Top Performer Oklahoma State University Botanical Gardens 2021 Top Performer Boerner Botanical Garden 2021 Perfect Score University of Tennessee - Knoxville 2021 Top Performer - Container University of Minnesota - Grand Rapids 2021 Perfect Score University of Minnesota - Morris 2021 Top Performer in Ground Annuals South Dakota State - McCrory Gardens 2021 Best of Breed - Beds North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum 3 More colors
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