The dark flowers of Salvia discolor Photo by Scott Zona

S. discolor habit

Compare this plant to:

Ajania pacifica

Brachyglottis

	'mouse-over' for meanings

Salvia discolor   Kunth 1818

Lamiaceae (Labiatae), subfamily: Nepetoideae, tribe: Mentheae

Andean silver-leaf sage, Peruvian sage, black-flowered sage • Française: sauge du Pérou

עברית (Hebrew): מרווה דו-גונית

Native to the Huancabamba Valley, the driest region of the Peruvian Andes

Synonymy: Salvia discolor Sessé & Moc.

Black flowers certainly hold a type of mystique for experienced and novice gardeners alike and this plant has certainly remained high on the desirable list for that reason. While the flowers are not truly black (they are a particularly deep blue-violet), they certainly seem to be of that rare floral hue to most observers. These unusual flowers are well set among well formed calyxes of a soft pistachio-green on a rich green spike, dark green leaves edged white with white- tomentose undersides, and white stems. The entire plant has an unusual scent of blackcurrant. Elegant to be sure.

In contrast to this refinement, the plant itself presents something of a problem in the garden. Its scandent nature - new shoots arise from the base, are sparsely clothed in leaves, to as much as 3ft / 50cm, eventually falling over with their own weight. These are most happy when allowed to grow through or lean upon a neighboring plant or other support. The white edged leaves nestled among rich foliar greens is striking (this author once grew it through a white-flowered rosemary to great effect). Don't expect this salvia to respond to pinching back to promote bushiness - it will stubbornly refuse to comply.

In addition to the delightful leaves, the flowers are certainly the star when they appear in spring in mediterranean climates and then throughout the warm months. Planting and support should be planned so that the flowers can be viewed carefully at close range. The normally white- tomentose stems abruptly become a rich green in the floral spike, covered with sticky glands. These are quite a surprise to an unsuspecting admirer! They are so sticky the often catch small bugs like fly-paper. The unusual color of the flowers invites cutting, but they do not last well at all, usually falling off the spike within the first day or two - best to enjoy then en situ.

Well-drained soil is a must for this salvia, its roots resenting wetness. A well-amended, sloping site, with a half day of sun works very well for this species, and pot-culture is also a good alternative. Periodic deep watering during the dry months is appreciated though an established plant is relatively tolerant of drought.

References

Clebsh, Betsy. 2003. The New Book of Salvias: sages for every garden. Timber Press. Edition 2: 100-102 (including illustration). ISBN 9780881925609 http://books.google.com/books?id=NM0iwB8GrQYC&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q=&f=false   [accessed 21 February 2010].

Macbrlde, J. Francis. 1936. Flora of Peru. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. : 66. http://www.archive.org/stream/floraofperu131macb/floraofperu131macb_djvu.txt   [accessed 21 February 2010].

Nickel, Erle. Sunday, July 19, 2009. Salvia discolor a hardy black beauty. The San Francisco Chronicle. Website http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/17/HO3718PIK1.DTL   [accessed 21 February 2010].