About Salvia scutellarioides Kunth
Salvia scutellarioides Kunth is an evergreen perennial plant native to the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. It grows at elevations between 3,300 and 10,000 feet, in mild climates that have consistent year-round moisture. Though the species was first formally described by Carl Sigismund Kunth in 1817, it remained rarely seen in horticulture as of 2002. Its specific epithet scutellarioides references its similarity to Scutellaria, another genus in the mint family. This species is evergreen and prostrate, producing graceful trailing stems that grow to 1.5 feet in length. Deltoid forest-green leaves cover the plant generously; leaf length varies, with average dimensions of about 3.5 inches long and 3.5 inches wide. The underside of each leaf has raised veins, and both the upper and lower leaf surfaces are lightly covered with hairs. Flowering in this species is sparse, but its striking 0.5-inch flowers are a vivid brilliant blue, growing from a small, hairy green calyx. Flowering starts in late summer and continues sporadically through late autumn. Inflorescences measure 6 to 8 inches long, with flowers arranged in opposite growth positions along the inflorescence.
