Viewing post #951551 by Marilyn

beckygardener said:I thought I had posted about this one. (I guess I didn't hit the "Finished" button.)

I acquired Amistad from the local nursery. Loved it the minute I saw it. It has been a popular plant here locally. It is also a good hummingbird, butterfly, and bee nectar plant. (Though mainly the Black Swallowtails, Polydamas Swallowtails, and Giant Swallowtails use it from the butterfly species.)

I am also on another forum for Hummingbirds and met Rolando there (online, of course). He told everyone that he was trying to get it released in the USA, but at the time he didn't want to patent it because he wanted everyone to share it. (Well ... you know how that goes .... to release a plant in the USA, the plant producer has to make a profit. I don't know if Rolando gets any monetary gain from the sale of this plant or not.) Everyone on the forum was very excited to see it and then later get this plant! It is everything that Rolando promised it would be and it's name does indeed mean "friendship".

I have it growing in several places in my backyard. It needs to be pruned periodically to maintain a fuller bush otherwise it gets rather lanky. The purple blooms are a true shade of purple (to my eyes). It does not produce seeds. It grows well with fertilizing twice a year. I like to use the time-released fertilizer in the Spring. It blooms year round here in my zone. It's one of my top 5 favorite salvias.

Here is a photo I submitted to the Plant Database:

• Salvia 'Amistad'
• Uploaded by beckygardener

@beckygardener

I've been on that site you are talking about.http://www.network54.com/Forum/439743 I read every so often. I joined awhile back too. I don't even remember my user name there right now.

I've grown it as an annual, since Kermit of Flowers By The Sea first offered it and I love it! Gorgeous purple color!

I knew about the backstory.