Salvia confertiflora (08/11/2015, Kew Gardens, London)
Position: Full sun to light shade
Flowering period: Late summer to autumn
Soil: Moist, well drained
Eventual Height: 1.2m
Eventual Spread: 1m
Hardiness: 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11 (the above ground part of this shrub will die at the colder end of its hardiness range)
Family: Lamiaceae
Salvia confertiflora is an evergreen (deciduous at the colder end of its hardiness range) shrub with an erect, bushy habit. Its dark green leaves are ovate with entire margins, up to 15cm long and 7cm broad. Its leaves are fragrant when crushed. Its red flowers are up to 1cm long and appear as a terminal spike which are up to 60cm long.
Salvia confertiflora Flower (08/11/2015, Kew Gardens, London)
Salvia confertiflora, commonly known as Red Velvet Sage, is native to Brazil.
The etymological root of the binomial name Salvia is derived from the Latin salvare, meaning to ‘save’ or ‘heal’, in reference to its historical use as a medicinal plant. Confertiflora is from the Latin conferta meaning ‘crammed’ and flora meaning ‘flower’.
The landscape architect may find Salvia confertiflora useful as a late flowering shrub with attractive foliage suitable for herbaceous border type planting schemes.
Salvia confertiflora Leaf (08/11/2015, Kew Gardens, London)
Ecologically, Salvia confertiflora flowers are attractive to pollinating insects and hummingbirds.
Salvia confertiflora prefers moist, humus rich, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil. It dislikes dry soils.
Salvia confertiflora requires little maintenance. In parts of the UK where this plant will grow, heavy pruning should be carried out in early spring before growth begins.
Landscape Architecture
