Salvia named Summer Jewel Red #4
by J McCombie
Title
Salvia named Summer Jewel Red #4
Artist
J McCombie
Medium
Photograph - Untouched
Description
Salvia coccinea (Hummingbird sage, Texas sage, scarlet sage, tropical sage, blood sage) is a herbaceous perennial in the Lamiaceae family that is widespread throughout the South Eastern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern Southern America (Colombia, Peru, and Brazil). At one time Brazil was considered to be where it originated, but its diploid chromosome count now points to Mexico as its place of origin. Traditional varieties reach 60 to 120 cm in height, with many branches, and a spread of about 70 cm. The hairy leaves, scalloped on the edges, are pea green, varying in size, from small up to 7 cm long and 5 cm wide. Flower colour and size is quite variable. The naturalized variety is typically tubular and bright red, hence the coccinea epithet´, Latin for scarlet dyed. Cultivated varieties include orange-red, pink, salmon, red, white, and scarlet, and include bi-colored varieties. Flowers attract butterflies. The first breakthrough in dwarf Salvia coccinea came with Lady in Red, a Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner in 1992. Now, breeding history has brought this species to another new level with the introduction of Summer Jewel Red, and its sister variety Summer Jewel Pink, a Fleuroselect Approved Novelty from the 2010 trials. Two precious new gems for gardeners and consumers looking for long lasting bright summer colours!
The brightest thing the garden has ever seen, this unstoppable, super-quick Hummingbird Sage is out to transform your sunny annual bed and best containers into a haven for butterflies and hummers! As an added bonus, goldfinches swarm the plant for seeds. The fire-engine-red blooms begin in late spring and don't think about quitting until early fall, so get your camera and vases ready!
Winner of a 2011 All America Selection award and, even more impressive, the rarely-given Fleuroselect Gold Medal, Summer Jewel Red was consistently rated “superior” or “above average” by the AAS judges because of it’s early and generous flower blossoms, continuing from spring to autumn. It is a dwarf annual sage (plants are 14-19 inches [35-50 cm] in height) with super-abundant ½-inch blooms of brilliant red. Now, ½-inch may not sound like much, but multiply it by several hundred and you get the idea of what a fully blooming stand of only 3 to 5 plants is going to look like! And the flowers bounce right back from wind and rain (unlike older varieties of Hummingbird Sage).
These flowers crowd along slender but sturdy stems among dark emerald-green foliage, signaling hummingbirds to come and feast. This plant is just 20 inches high in bloom and not more than 16 inches wide, but it gets the job done -- lots of flowering stems, always heavily packed with neon-bright color and usually a winged visitor or two, too! Also available in Lavender, Pink, and White.
Summer Jewel Red is a native plant, content in any well-drained soil receiving full sunshine, but best when the soil is fertile and the moisture is consistent. It will tolerate heat, humidity, dry soil, and other stresses, but you'll want to pamper it to keep those amazing blooms coming in the greatest possible number. The show is just too jaw-dropping to cut short!
Great for containers as well as the annual bed, meadow, or cottage garden, Summer Jewel Red begins blooming just about 50 days after you sow the seeds. Just think-- less than 2 months from now, you could be seeing the first of these powerhouse blooms! Start the seeds indoors for best results, and don't transplant until the soil has thoroughly warmed. Then it's no holds barred, for months and months! Great in the vase too.
Uploaded
July 26th, 2018
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Comments (1)
William Tasker
Absolutely gorgeous! L/F
J McCombie replied:
Although each individual flower is tiny, I think they are absolutely gorgeous too, William. Thank you! ...J.