Salvia roscida

Salvia roscida (back centre of photo)

Previously known as Salvia fallax, this is a late winter-early spring flowering plant from Mexico, which grows up to 1.5 to 2.5 m tall. It has spires of many small soft blue flowers over a long period and mixes well with many of the blooms of this time, such as Clivia, abutilons, firefly (Justicia rizzinii), shrubby daisies and Camellia. It also combines well with some of the fresh new lime-green leaves of spring, and makes a good partner to shrubby Eupatorium megalophyllum and the 'evergreen Hydrangea' (Dichroa febrifuga). It prefers a degree of shade, making it a valuable mixer. It tends to self-seed a bit. Cut it back hard after flowering and again around December to keep it compact; otherwise it really does get too tall. It is not hardy to hard frosts.