"Salvia gesneriflora (sometimes spelled Salvia gesneriiflora) is a herbaceous perennial or subshrub native to mountainous provinces of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico, growing at 7,500-10,000 feet elevation. It was named in honor of 15th century Swiss botanist Conrad Gessner, for whom the genus Gesneria and family Gesneriaceae are also named. The long tubular flowers of this salvia resemble Gesneria flowers. It is a popular ornamental plant.
In its native habitat, Salvia gesneriflora is reported to grow up to 25 feet high, though in cultivation it only reaches 5-6 feet high and 3-4 feet wide due to pruning from wind breakage and by gardeners. Hard annual pruning prevents the plant from breakage. The plant has many woody stems very heavy with foliage that break easily in wind and rain. The heart-shaped leaves are mid-green, very aromatic, and graduated in size.
The large flowers grow up to 1.5 inches long, and are a vivid orange-red, held in a 1.5 inches yellow-green calyx tinged with purple glands. They grow abundantly in tightly spaced whorls on 8-12 inches long inflorescences. It blooms in late winter and early spring, with hard annual pruning (down to leaf nodes near the ground) recommended after blooming. The plant will grow back to 6 feet in one season."
Taken from wikipedia's page at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...
