ColorBlaze Lime Time Sweetens the Deal

The focus of this fifth article series are deciduous Salvia species including S. madrensis, S. mexicana, and S. nipponica for Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. For the sake of making sense of the genus, I’ll divide the salvias into three groups; those with woody stems, those which are both herbaceous (non-woody stems) and deciduous (die to the ground) in the winter, and finally those which are herbaceous and form basal rosettes.

The focus of this sixth article series are deciduous Salvia species which make good perennial garden specimens. For the sake of making sense, I’ll divide them into three groups; those with woody stems, those which are both herbaceous (non-woody stems) and deciduous (die to the ground) in the winter, and finally those which are herbaceous and form basal rosettes. Check out our other articles in the series where we discuss other Salvia types such as the rosette type Salvia.

This article is the first of two covering the woody Salvia. After reading this one, don’t forget to check out the other. Few plant genera offer the amazing diversity and ornamental potential found in the genus Salvia.

The focus of this seventh article in the series on Salvia are those deciduous hybrids which make good perennial garden specimens. Check out our other articles in the series where we discuss other Salvia types such as the woody Salvia. The following are descriptions of hybrids of the species mentioned in the previous articles in the series.

There are few plants quite as interesting in the spring woodland garden as the Pulmonaria (Lungwort). Pulmonarias are an excellent bold-textured woodland perennial that contrasts well with other early season plants such as hellebores, ophiopogons, ferns, Iris cristata, along with other spring ephemerals in getting the spring garden off to a great early spring start. You would think that these durable early spring bloomers with attractive foliage would be grown everywhere, but alas no.

Pulmonaria are members of the Boraginaceae family and first cousin to other well-known garden favorites such as myosotis (forget-me-not), brunnera, symphytum, and mertensia (Virginia Bluebell). The genus pulmonaria is composed of 16 species, although only 8 are known in cultivation. These include…

Over the years, the number and quality of pulmonaria hybrids has dramatically increased and improved. Most of the early hybrids from the EU countries, where pulmonarias grow native, were discovered as wild or garden origin seedlings. It was Dan Heims of Oregon’s Terra Nova Nurseries who really began a directed breeding program with pulmonarias.

Coral Bells (Heuchera), and a closely related intergeneric hybrid ×Heucherella, are enchanting woodland plants. They are grown primarily as foliage plants, but many also offer a charming floral display. In the last 15 years, an enormous number of new cultivars have been developed and made available to gardeners.

Coral Bells are herbaceous shade perennials that grow as clumps of leaves arising from a central crown held at, or just below, the soil surface. The crown is a short central stem (a caudex) with leaves arranged on it in a congested spiral with 6 leaves arising from the stem for each complete turn of the spiral (a 1/6 phyllotaxy). Each node also contains a bud that will eventually form a new leaf, an inflorescence, or a short stolon that gives rise to an offset.

The first big break-through in purple foliaged Heuchera occurred with the discovery of Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’. It was discovered by Brian Halliwell in 1980 in a seed lot growing at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in England. The novel purple seedling was growing near Kew Palace, hence the cultivar name ‘Palace Purple’.

The modern breeders (1980 – present) have been very busy, releasing well over 200 cultivars of Heuchera, Tiarella, and ×Heucherella in a short time. These new perennials display never-before-seen foliage colors and flower combinations. Arguably the most prolific modern Heuchera breeder is Dan Heims, owner of Terra Nova Nursery in Oregon.

If you would like to push the taxonomic boundaries of the plant world, try some intergeneric hybrid x Heucherella Cultivars. From their Heuchera parents they get a wide variation in color and variegation. From their Tiarella parents they get interesting leaf shapes, a running habit, and more deep shade tolerance.