Salvia Rhea Violet
( Salvia Farinacea ‘ Rhea Violet ‘)
Perennial Salvia Rhea Violet Origins:
Salvia Farinacea is native to Mexico and some of the southern United States including Texas and New Mexico.
Most often planted as an annual in cooler regions of the USA, here in North Florida / Jacksonville / St. Augustine area it makes a wonderfully reliable semi evergreen to herbaceous perennial planting.( may be winter
dormant depending on planting location)
Salvia Rhea Violet is a selection of Salvia Farinacea grown for its abundant flowering display and extremely compact growth habit.
This compact low maintenance plant is perfect for Florida’s hot summers and keeps on blooming when other flowering plants have begun to decline. Simply pinch back spent flowers during the heat of the summer and watch it bloom all over again in a matter of weeks!
Salvia Rhea Violet Preferred Exposure:
– Salvia Farinacea Rhea Violet will need a full sun or partial sun exposures in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area gardens landscape.
– To bloom its best afternoon sun is preferable to morning sun when planting in a partial sun partial shade site.
Salvia Rhea Violet Foliage:
– Light gray- green delicate elongated foliage, semi evergreen to herbaceous
depending on the winter season, leaves often go dormant for the winter season. Don’t toss the roots to these plants as they are likely to regrow quickly in the following spring season. I like to over plant mine with a
cool season annual like pansy’s or snapdragons that will bloom all winter and be done by the time the foliage re-emerges late the following spring.
Salvia Rhea Violet Soil Preference / Salt tolerance:
-Salvia Rhea Violet is not particular about the components of the soil it is planted in providing they are planted in a well draining location.
– Unknown Salt tolerance. Have it at the beach? Let us know how it did!
Salvia Rhea Violet Size Variance:
– Salvia Rhea Violet is a very compact selection of Salvia Farinacea most often found growing at just 14-16 inches high and 6- 12 inches wide. Ideal for lower growing and front of the border plantings or even mixed flowering containers.
Salvia Rhea Violet Growth Habit:
– Semi evergreen to herbaceous perennial plant forms an attractive upright mound of foliage, taller than it is wide, particularly attractive when planted in masses.
Salvia Rhea Violet Growth Rate:
– Fast growing Salvia Rhea Violet can be expected to reach its full height within a month of being planted in the Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape.
Salvia Rhea Violet Bloom:
– Beautiful violet blue blooms clustered tightly on stalks rise above the foliage in summer and fall. Blooms slightly earlier than typical of other salvia Farinacea selections.
– Salvia Rhea Violet blossoms make excellent cut flowers, and removing spent blossoms promotes more blossoms so cut to your hearts content!
– Remove spent blooms and cut foliage back after flowering begins to decline and the plant will regrow and rebloom within weeks!
Salvia Rhea Violet Water Requirements:
– Although moderately drought tolerant. plants perform best when supplemental irrigation is supplied.
– Regular water is necessary to get the plant rooted and growing on its own after being planted in the ground from a nursery container.
Butterfly or Bird Attracting:
– S & J Nursery’s Salvia Rhea Violet will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your North Florida gardens landscape.
Best Uses For Salvia Rhea Violet in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St.
Augustine area garden:
– Easy maintenance blooming plant for perennial beds and flower borders.
– Great selection for a mixed container planting.
– Plant in masses for a blooms display that cant be missed!
– Salvia Rhea Violet makes a great companion plant for other perennials in the garden and adds a strong vertical element when in bloom.
– Use as a cut flower!
– Deer resistant flowering selection!
Care of Salvia Rhea Violet in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area
landscape:
– Water every day during the establishment period after planting in the garden from a nursery container, once plants have established themselves into the landscape, you can begin to taper watering back to just a semi weekly application if local rainfall levels are low.
– Leave foliage and roots in place for next years growth.
– Trim back both foliage and blooms when flowering begins to decline in late summer for faster fall blooms. Fertilize when trimming and the plant will be back again and blooming even if pruned off at ground level within weeks!!! ( I snap my stems down to ground level and just let the whole thing regrow to keep them nice and tidy, but you could if you weren’t quite as lazy as I am trim back just a few inches and fertilize)
– Fertilize each spring, and again when trimming in late summer with a handful of garden compost or a mixture of Milorganite and a slow release poly coated plant food such as Osmocote or Stay Green general purpose plant food or 10-10-10.