Salvia madrensis
Common Names: forsythia sage
Family: Lamiaceae/Labiatae (mint Family)
Shrub Perennial Attracts Hummingbirds Has Unusual or Interesting
Foliage Flowers Useful for fresh and/or dried arrangements
forsythia sage
A large shrub-sized clump of forsythia sprawls huge spikes of
spectacular yellow flowers across a path in Jack's garden.
Description
A huge yellow-flowered salvia! Forsythia sage is a very large and
robust salvia that can get as much as 10 ft (3.1 m) tall with a
spread of 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m). In frost prone areas it usually gets
only 3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m) tall. The square stems are very distinctive,
with well developed ridges on the corners, and they can be more than
1 in (2.5 cm) across. Forsythia sage grows in a spreading clump. It
has large, bright green, heart shaped, rather rough leaves. The
leaves and the spreading branches are produced in pairs, originating
on opposite sides of the stem. The flowers are canary yellow and
borne in 12 in (30.5 cm) spikes from early fall until first frost.
The cultivar, 'Dunham' may be more cold hardy than the species,
having survived -9F in North Carolina.
Location
Forsythia sage is native to the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico,
where it grows at elevations of 4000-5000 ft (1219-1524 m).
Culture
Light: Like many of the large-leaved salvias, forsythia sage grows
well in partial sun to nearly full shade.
Moisture: Forsythia sage likes a well drained soil and regular
watering.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 7 - 11. Forsythia sage is a semi-woody
sub-shrub in zones 9B-11. It loses its leaves or dies to the ground
during winter in zones 7-9A. May require winter mulching in zone 7.
Propagation: Propagated by cuttings or by dividing the root mass.
Usage
Forsythia sage is one of very few salvias with yellow flowers. It
produces its showy blooms in late fall and early winter, when many
flowering shrubs and perennials are beginning to go dormant. Give it
plenty of room in a shaded or semi-shaded perennial or mixed shrub
border. Or let it stand alone beneath tall oaks or pines. You may
need to stake forsythia sage to keep it from falling over. The
butter-yellow flowers, arranged in whorls, do well as cut flowers.
Features
There are more than 700 species of Salvia, the largest genus in the
mint family. Many gardeners have become collectors as they come to
appreciate the diversity of sizes, shapes and colors. |
