Lavender-like flowers with bright blue flower spikes are borne on violet stems above the bright green foliage of this long-flowering, hardy, dwarf shrub.
Available in AustraliaAvailable in New ZealandFind a Retailer
Salvia Unplugged 'So Blue' is a hardy, dwarf shrub that loves heat, tolerates dry periods, and doesn't mind humidity. The bright green foliage contrasts beautifully with the vivid blue stems and petals of the heavy, lavender-like flower spikes. In warmer climates, 'Unplugged So Blue' can be treated as perennial that will only slow its flowering in the coldest few weeks of the year. In colder climates with frosts, 'Unplugged So Blue' is a favourite annual.
This continuous blooming Salvia is sterile, which means more flowers for you.
The tidy dwarf habit and sturdy, lavender-like flower spikes of Salvia Unplugged 'So Blue' are at home in a range of gardens from a free-ranging cottage style to more formally organised landscapes. Use it in sunny or shaded gardens as a border plant or in a landscape spread singularly, in drifts of colour, or mass-planted. When in bloom, the heavy flower spikes make a perfect background or centrepiece in larger springtime combination planting in containers.
Flower spikes and foliage of 'So Blue' also make lovely fresh-cut floral arrangements.
Salvia Unplugged are suitable for positions with full sun to part shade and well-drained soil in a wide range of climates, keeping in mind that it is an annual in colder regions. Prepare the garden bed by loosening the soil to improve drainage, and add slow-release fertiliser or compost. Unlike most Salvia which are light feeders, Unplugged benefits from regular applications of fertiliser because of its long and sometimes continuous flowering season, particularly in warmer regions. Water regularly until settled in.
Salvia Unplugged are drought tolerant once established, but perform best with consistent low levels of moisture. Water more frequently during prolonged periods of no rain. A good measure is to water when the top five centimetres of soil becomes dry.
Remove spent flower spikes as needed at the stem's base, near to the auxiliary flower stem below. In frost-free climates Salvia Unplugged 'So Blue' will survive the Winter, and a pruning will be beneficial in early Spring when new growth emerges to form shape and encourage branching.
In containers, use a premium all-purpose potting mix and ensure that drainage holes function well, and remember that plants in pots need more regularly watering than those in the ground.
Wear gloves & wash hands after gardening.
