I picked up a couple of these plants some years ago, to go into my Moon Garden - which has clay soil. One of them died the first winter, because it was in a bit of a depression and didn't get good enough drainage.
The other one is still with me, and it is a great plant. The color contrast between the white flowers and the "blackish caylce" (as Danita put it
) is striking and really jazzes up the plant. I have another white flowered salvia in the Moon Garden, 'Navajo Jewel', and the stems and blooms on that look boring and insipid when matched up against those of 'Heatwave Glimmer'. I think that the foliage is maybe better and/or more attractive on 'Heatwave Glimmer' too... all around it is a much more eye-catching (in a pleasing and desirable way) salvia than the 'Navajo Jewel' is.
As for vigor, the surviving plant apparently is dry enough, or gets enough drainage, that it grows great, even though it is still in clay soil with spray irrigation. I cut it back to about a foot or so every January, and by mid summer it is starting to grow out of bounds and spill over the pathway and needs to be trimmed back.
Thumbs up for this garden jewel!
Just be sure to give it good winter drainage.
It's mostly a never-ending stream of nemorosa types which really aren't at their best here.
