Salvia pentstemonoides Kunth & C.D.Bouché

Habitat

Salvia pentstemonoides typically grows on limestone rock along seeps or creeks.

Height and Stem

It can reach up to 5 feet tall, with square stems.

Leaf Arrangement

It often produces long basal leaves in addition to opposite stem (cauline) leaves.

Leaf Appearance

Its leaves are mistletoe-green, lance-shaped, and grow in a basal rosette.

Inflorescence Structure

Numerous flowering stalks emerge from this rosette, forming 8–12 inch long inflorescences that hold whorls of loosely arranged flowers.

Flower and Calyx Appearance

The flowers are 1 inch long and beetroot-purple, enclosed in a 0.5-inch red wine-colored calyx.

Organoleptic Properties

The flowers of this species are edible, and brushing or rubbing the leaves releases a lemon-lime scent similar to Sprite or 7 Up.

Cultivation Soil Requirements

When grown in cultivation, Salvia pentstemonoides prefers fast-draining soil with added limestone or ground oyster shells.

Light Requirements

It grows best with morning sun and high shade, but it will also grow well in full sun in regions with high humidity.

Water Requirements

It also prefers deep weekly watering.

Cold Hardiness

This plant is hardy to approximately 20 °F (−7 °C).

Propagation Methods

It is easily propagated from seed; propagation via cuttings is possible, and clumps can be divided if the process is done carefully.

Faunal Associations

It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.