PlantFiles: Mexican Fuchsia Sage
Salvia iodantha

I live in the Panhandle of Fl. A few yrs. ago, I was given a cutting of this plant. The plant grew quickly and flowered from Sept to April. Seemed like all flying insects were attracted to the flowers which were a deep magenta color. I never saw any actual "seed pods" but apparently it does have them - I found a young seedling growing in a crack of the steps. It can get spindly, and does not tolerate freezing temperatures. The original froze - but the others thrive (planted on the south side of the house). The average height is over 6'. They have proven drought tolerant, easy to propagate from cuttings, and dependable for winter color. Definitely a plant worth having.

I bought a salvia iodantha several years ago because I was on the look out for winter blooming plants. This particular plant had not bloom in the past few years, and I almost gave up on it this year. It grew really tall, about 5-6 feet. About a month ago, I saw a few blooms on it - the blooms were small and not showy, but it is a nice magenta color. The plant is leggy and the winter winds can cause the branches to flop.