Today's plant of the day for Salvias is Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii 'Teresa').

This plant can be found in the ATP Plant Database at:
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii 'Teresa') .

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Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii 'Teresa')

I haven't grown this salvia yet, but as I look at those pics of the flowers that Dave posted, the more I like it. Beautiful and interesting flowers.

This is another that I ordered to grow as an annual. Hoping it does well in a pot and I see those pretty pink and white flowers.

The flowers are rather small. It was in my home garden for 5 or 6 years and was pretty hardy. For some reason hummingbirds completely ignored it.

Ward,

Good to know (regarding both statements). I'll probably pass up on it.

Thanks for sharing your info.

I met the introducer (Dave Steinbrenner) about 10 years ago and visited his home and saw the original plant that this cultivar came from. It's a nice and delicate S. greggii that I've enjoyed growing.

Oh, I love that one...that and Dancing Dolls.....have to have them both again.

Thanks @Dave for your info. Do you think the flowers are on the small size? Have you had any hummers visit the flowers every year, since you've own it?

I don't remember seeing hummingbirds on it and the blooms were typical size of the greggii species.

Dave is right - the flowers size of this one is typical of the species. But the rub is that very few true S. greggii varieties are in cultivation. The vast majority have some S. microphylla genetics in them. The range of these two overlap, and both in the wild and in cultivation they cross promiscuously. So many of the plants that are offered as S. greggii are actually S. x jamensis, the name of the hybrids having S. greggii and S. microphylla in their background.

Why is this? Well for one S. greggii in general are far more cold hardy than S. microphylla. So companies like Ball who released and promoted Salvia greggii 'Radio Red', which is actually a S. x jamensis and not a S. greggii, I suppose to influence customer perception of the degree of hardiness. In many cases the party who develops / sells one of these is not aware of this distinction. So the naming gets more and more confused.

We believe Teresa is a true Salvia greggii.

Thank you for the info, kermit

It has always seem like a hardiness dance between the two species. Greggii does seem more cold hardy but microphylla impresses me as slightly more winter moisture tolerant. That is all probably a warped eastern perspective. I have also suspected that greggii from West Texas might be hardier than ones that originated in Mexico. That may just be because the two I am most familiar with, Wild Thing and White are from Texas.

Good observation, Ward. S. greggii are native to dry places, S. microphylla very much less so. Not that they can't handle some dry, just that they like water (including winter water) more. Breeding forward with complex S. x jamensis one of the goals is "as cold hardy as greggii, as tough as microphylla".

@FBTS

Thanks for your information Kermit. Always good to know.

That is what I have been looking for Kermit. I have one that fits the bill and this year I am passing it along to a NJ native plant wholesaler to she what she thinks.

Ward

Wonderful! Good luck and let us know how things turnout.