Today's plant of the day for Salvias is Salvia 'Steely Wings'.

This plant can be found in our Plant Database at:
Salvia (Salvia canariensis 'Steely Wings') .

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Salvia (Salvia canariensis 'Steely Wings')

Burpee had two pics of Steely Wings. One showed the leaves and the flowers. The other just showed the flowers. Here's the pic with the flowers.

https://www.burpee.com/flowers...

If you do a google search for Salvia canariensis 'Steely Wings', the second pic is the one that doesn't come up on the Burbee link, but you can see the plant with the silvery leaves with the flowers if you click onto the pic.

@Marilyn for posting links to photos as many of these new varieties do not have database photos yet (understandably). This one is attractive.

I believe Steely Wings is nothing but a marketing "common name", not a varietal name. If so putting it inside single quotes is not proper. Burpee is owned by Ball, and they are more and more turning to the strategy of Proven Winners by naming plants with cute names.

Thanks Kermit @FBTS for the info. It's frustrating and confusing to gardeners that companies are doing that.

For example.....

Golden Leaved Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans Rockin'® Golden Delicious) used to be just S. Golden Delicious and now it's
Series: Rockin'®
Trade Name: Golden Delicious
Cultivar name: 'Rockin' Golden Delicious'


Blue Anise Sage (Salvia coerulea Nectar Blue™) used to be just S. Black and Bloom and now it has attached to the name..... (Black and Bloom is aka)

Trade Name: Nectar Blue™


Sage (Salvia Playin' The Blues™) used to be just Mystic Spires or Mystic Spires Blue and now it has attached to the name.....(Mystic Spires or Mystic Spires Blue are aka)

Trade Name: Playin' The Blues™
Cultivar name: 'Balsalmisp' attached to the name.


I can't think of any other examples at the moment.

with @Marilyn
@FBTS I also thank you for the helpful and educational information!
When I used the word "variety" it was because it is hard for we regular amateur gardeners to know what terms to use sometimes, especially when these names seem to be occurring with rapidly increasing frequency. I do study and try to educate myself as much as possible and there is always more to learn. I prefer using botanical names.
I agree strongly that these common names companies attach are at best confusing, and at worst downright maddening!

jg0613 said: with @Marilyn
@FBTS I also thank you for the helpful and educational information!
When I used the word "variety" it was because it is hard for we regular amateur gardeners to know what terms to use sometimes, especially when these names seem to be occurring with rapidly increasing frequency. I do study and try to educate myself as much as possible and there is always more to learn. I prefer using botanical names.
I agree strongly that these common names companies attach are at best confusing, and at worst downright maddening!

Thank you Kermit for the helpful and educational information!

Here is more details on this subject:

https://www.fbts.com/plant-pat...

@FBTS
Thank you for the link to this extremely informative and educational article, one well worth reading carefully and more than once.

jg0613 said:@FBTS
Thank you for the link to this extremely informative and educational article, one well worth reading carefully and more than once.

I agree on everything that Judy posted. Very interesting also. Thank you Kermit for your article and taking the time to write it.

In the UK we now have Rockin' Deep Purple. Cannot see any difference between this and 'Amistad'. RDP may be slightly shorter, it could have been given a dwarfing agent.

Also the Skyscraper series (which we don't have) is remarkably similar to the 'Wish' series. Should this turn out to be the same, then the Australian charity will not receive the Royalties. I really hope that I am wrong.