Salvia hybrida Embers Wish

'Ember's Wish' Salvia is a recently obtained hybrid variety of sage from Australia. This astonishing bushy perennial, half herbaceous and half woody, offers tubular flowers of a very bright coral red, never before seen in this type of sage. This colour harmonises wonderfully with the rusty calyxes and dark brown stems which bear beautiful triangular green leaves. Blooming from late summer until the first frost, this hybrid is not very hardy but is easy to grow. A remarkable plant for flowerpots, it only requires a very well-drained soil and a sunny or partially-shaded site in order to flourish.

Salvia (x) 'Ember's Wish' is an original hybrid the parentage of which is unknown. It is a robust and particularly floriferous perennial. Like all salvias, it belongs to the large family of Lamiaceae or Labiates. This shrubby perennial has a bushy, branching and spreading habit, wider than it is tall. It quickly reaches a height of 70 cm (27.6 in) with a diameter of 70 to 80 cm (31.5 in), or even more in fertile soil. It blooms over a very long period, from late spring until the first frost, and does not require pruning. Its small flowers, 2 to 3 cm (1.2 in) long, are tubular with a particularly bright orange-red color. Grouped in spikes, they mix with deciduous, dark green foliage, reminiscent of that of Salvia splendens. In fact, its leaves are much larger than those of the x jamensis, microphylla or grahamii hybrids. The blooms are nectar and honey-producing. It adapts wonderfully to pot cultivation.

The sun enhances the flowering of shrubby salvias, which capture the light through their petals like tiny stained glass windows. These plants share those traits those that have contributed to the notoriety of the Salvia genus: of minimal maintenance, but with almost uninterrupted blooms from spring to first frost. Typical of both English cottage and Mediterranean gardens. This 'Ember's Wish' sage, undemanding and easy to grow, is destined to become a star of terraces and balconies. Plant in a large pot, covering its base with Cerastostigma plumbaginoides, and place it next to a Cape Plumbago; the color combination at the end of the season is fantastic! In flowerbeds it will create a charming scene alongside gauras, tall sedums (Sedum 'Matrona'), and maritime cinerarias.