Salvia 'Indigo Spires'
Salvia 'Indigo Spires'
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Usually available: All year
Life cycle: Perennial
Height: 1.3m
Position: Sun / part shade
Soil preference: Well drained
This is how we pack and send your Herb Plants to all states except TAS & WA
You will receive
- 1 Salvia Indigo Spires Herb Plant in a 50 X 75mm tube - General growing instructions
All of our Herb Plants are grown organically with certified organic potting mixes and fertilizers
Botanical Name: Salvia farinacea x Salvia longispicata
Indigo Spires is a garden classic that grows up to 1.3 meters with a sprawling habit. The leaves are dark green, ovate with a medium texture and they are approximately 7.5 cm long. The plant can become very heavy under its own weight and the branches may arch as they strain with the long blooming period. The flowers are a delightful blue-violet colour, with deeper purple calyces. The long inflorescences may reach 30 cm or more above the foliage. Each carries whorls of flowers, with individual flowers measuring up to 1.3 cm.
Indigo Spires is a hybrid from S. farinacea and S. longispicata, which are both native to Mexico. It was discovered in the 1970s, in California’s Huntington Botanical Gardens, and introduced to gardeners in 1979. It does not have its own botanical name but does have a relative in the newer Mystic Spires. The salvia Mystic Spires is a more compact, but wider plant with similar flower spikes. Indigo Spires is like most showy salvias and works well with roses and other cottage style perennials like campanulas and Echinacea.
Growing Conditions
Indigo Spires is a hardy plant, loves neglect and tolerates drought conditions. Regular deep watering will improve performance though. This is also a salvia that thrives in heat and humidity, which is good news for those in more tropical areas. Like most salvias, Indigo Spires does not like wet feet, so good drainage is important even though humidity is welcomed. If salvias spend winter in water logged ground, they will generally suffer and subsequently the plant dies.
A full sun position will result in the best flower show and is the preferred aspect for Indigo Spires. However, the plant will tolerate some shade, particularly in the afternoon. The flowers appear in summer, continue right through until June, until the cold weather arrives. If it is cold enough the plant may die down and reappear after the risk of frost is over. The flowers begin again in October as the new summer approaches.
It is a sprawling plant and has been described as growing and growing until it falls over under its own weight. Support from stakes and other garden plants may help in this regard. If you would like to have a tidier plant and prevent the branches from falling over, then prune constantly as you go about your regular gardening. However, cutting the plant back to ground level in late winter will work well to encourage the new spring growth. Indigo Spires is a sterile hybrid, so there is no opportunity to grow this variety from seed. However, it propagates easily from cuttings.
The salvia family has over 900 members with an extensive history as culinary, medicinal and ornamental plants. Ornamental salvias have become collectors’ items, as gardeners try to find a place in their garden for each and every one. There are salvias that will suit every type of soil and climate. More information on the Salvia genus and Common Sage (Salvia officinalis) may be found on our Common Sage page.
All information provided on this website is for informational purposes only. Please seek professional advice before commencing any treatment.