Monrovia : Learn

Eye catching coral-red flowers from spring through fall. Heat loving California native attractive to hummingbirds. More dense and lush looking than S. greggii. Excellent in mass or single plantings. Drought tolerant when established. Evergreen subshrub. Full sun. Moderate-growing to 3 feet tall and wide. Cutting grown.

Performance and Requirements

Light needs: Full sun

Watering Needs: Once established, needs only occasional watering.

Pruning Time: Early spring

Growth Rate: Moderate Growing

Growth Habit: Bushy

Design Information

Companion Plants

TUSCAN BLUE ROSEMARY
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Tuscan Blue'

RED RUM TREE MALLOW
Lavatera x 'Red Rum' P.P.# 13898

RED VELVET YARROW
Achillea millefolium 'Red Velvet'

TEENIE GENIE^® COMPACT LANTANA
Lantana camara 'Monike' P.P.# 17612

BLUE BEAKED YUCCA
Yucca rostrata

(Click on image for more information. New window will open.)

Companion Plants (Description): Excellent companion for Blue Beaked Yucca, (Yucca rostrata), Tuscan Blue Rosemary, (Rosmarinus officinalis 'Tuscan Blue'), Red Velvet Yarrow, (Achillea millefolium 'Red Velvet'), Tom Thumb Compact Lantana, (Lantana camara 'Monkie') and Red Rum Tree Mallow, (Lavatera x 'Red Rum').

Design Styles: A beautiful bloomer to flesh out dry beds and borders. Ideal for sun drenched banks and slopes with problem summer heat. Grow among other western natives that thrive in dry porous soils. Integrates well with succulents. A supreme rock garden candidates and nooks around landscape boulders. Outstanding in wild gardens and for hummingbird intensive habitats.

Care Information

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Watering can be reduced after establishment. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring.

Background Information

History: This and all salvias are classified into the mint family, Labiatae which contains over 750 herbs and subshrubs. This plant is synonymous with S. microphylla and can be found in California, Arizona and New Mexico. The current species is named in honor of Robert Graham, 1786-1845, a professor of botany in Edinburg, Scotland.

Lore: Sages are distinguished for their aromatic oils used both as a culinary seasoning and in the perfume industry. This species is particularly attractive to hummingbirds.

Botanical Pronunciation: SAL-via grah-MEE-eye

Catalog Description: Eye catching coral-red flowers from spring through fall. Heat loving California native attractive to hummingbirds. More dense and lush looking than S. greggii. Excellent in mass or single plantings. Drought tolerant when established. Evergreen subshrub. Full sun. Moderate-growing to 3 feet tall and wide. Cutting grown.