PlantFiles: Transylvanian Sage
Salvia transylvanica

This is my second year to grow what we call "vampire sage" (from its name--not from any sinister habits). I purchased the plant last year from High Country Gardens, divided it this year, and have many blooms on both plants. (It needs plenty of room. Mine now needs moving--not just dividing again.) I love the color of the blooms, and I don't mind the "coarse" leaves, since my garden is a pretty informal "cottage" garden--which is just a way of saying "I grow everything I can in my small yard, with little regard for design."

Grew this for several seasons; my thriving colony was wiped out two years ago when my sheep spent a few days in the garden while we were away. Haven't even had any seedlings since, either. Annoying.

I originally grew this one from Thompson & Morgan seed; not nearly as floriferous (if that's a word!) or "blue" as the catalogue photos, but still was very nice for continuous bloom mid-summer right past first few frosts. Really appreciated this in the autumn when the garden was in decline.

Not outstandingly showy, but pleasant in mid-border. Knee-high-ish.

Will definitely grow this again. Seed was easy to start; seedlings vigorous and trouble-free. Overwintered just fine here for 3 (maybe 4?) seasons; there were always a few seedlings showing up as well.

Following are some details on germinating this seed:

1) [HYPERLINK@tomclothier.hort.net] - Sow at 20*C (68*F) - germination slow

2) [HYPERLINK@www.onrockgarden.com] - similar to Tom Clothier above, says germination can take up to 3 months

3) quoted and paraphrased from [HYPERLINK@www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com] - Sow on the surface of a well-drained, sterile, soilless medium at 20-25*C (68-77*F). Light is needed, but application of GA-3 (Gibberellic Acid - see [HYPERLINK@www.jlhudsonseeds.net] for how-to infor & supplies) may help germination in the dark. Germination will usually take between 10-14 days, but may be erratic even under good conditions.

For a well-drained medium, try a mix of 1 part perlite (best) or sand (not too sharp) for drainage; 1 part milled sphagnum moss or peat for their anti-fungal qualities; and 1 part soilless potting medium. I wait to sow seed like this until about 2 weeks before last spring frost indoors where I can keep them warm, with a sheet of clear plastic wrap over the top to maintain even moisture - some use baggies. Occasionally let in some air.

As soon as germination begins, I put the pot outdoors minus the plastic to keep seedlings strong and to ward against damping-off fungus, which likes indoor environments. Don't let the seeds or seedlings dry out, but at the same time, don't ever let their pot sit in water, which can be fatal. Water from the bottom and take it out of the water the instant you see it's absorbed the water.

Ordered 3 tiny little pots of this salvia from Bluestone Perrenials' sale page last year and was absolutely charmed. How to describe the color? It's somehow "clearer" than your average salvia. Beautiful with a bouquet of sunflowers and purple basil. The plants were maintenance-free and bloomed freely.....I think the only thing I did is cut them back a bit in the beginning of August. I think the only possible detriment is that the plants were a bit coarse-textured for most modern landscapes. For a midwest cottage garden, however, I'd highly reccomend this species. Our dog's been sleeping on the bed where the salvia's located all winter, so I doubt they'll come up again this Spring, but even if they don't, I'm super satisfied by last year's show.