Salvia ‘Ultra Violet’ Delights the Eye and the Pollinators
Ultra Violet Salvia
Salvia ‘Ultra Violet’PP 21,411 is an exciting hybrid of two, southwestern native Salvia species. It has a fine-textured, floriferous habit and unusually iridescent purple flower color. Ultra Violet is both more compact and hardier than most Salvia greggii types. It is the only purple one dependably hardy in zone 5, having had its origin in the northern Colorado garden of horticulturist Lauren Springer.
Because of its tidy growth habit, rooting ease and quick maturation to bloom stage, Ultra Violet makes a great commercial greenhouse perennial.
Outdoors, this small shrubby perennial makes a wonderful flowering xeriscape plant and attracts great numbers of diverse pollinators while resisting browse by deer and rabbits. It establishes easily in well-drained soils with ample sunlight, really showing its stuff the second year.
Better Homes and Gardens magazine lists it as a top perennial for dry sites.
Height: 18-24”
Width: 18-24”
Blooms: Summer, fall
Sun: Full sun, partial sun
Soil Moisture: Dry, medium
Hardiness: USDA Zone 5b (-15°F or -26°C)
Culture: Well drained soils, dry sites
Uses: Borders, containers, mass landscape planting
Thanks to Lauren Springer, author and horticulturist, for this piece! See the plant profile here.
I can’t find this plant anywhere near the Castle Rock/Parker/Highlands Ranch nurseries! They all seem to have gotten their stock at the same grower, and the growers aren’t supplying any other than the standard salvias. Any suggestions as to where to go for this plant (Ultra Violet Salvia?) I want a salvia to attract hummingbirds.
Check back with your nearest garden center. They should be able to bring that in. There is a grower on the Front Range who has many to sell them. Enjoy!
I just got some from High Country Gardens (www.high country gardens.com). The plants arrived in great shape and I’ll get them in the ground in the next day or so. Meanwhile they’re sheltered from sun and wind and getting some water daily. Going to put them all along the front of a bed full of agastache, Monarda and buddleia, then pour some iced tea and sit on porch and watch the butterflies and hummers!
I bought some of this at Tagawa in late May. Maybe they have some still
Grows as hardy as a weed!!! I have to trim them back but oh so pretty and the bees love them and the butterflies too!!
I am looking to find the plants that you suggested for Denver for drought(Ultra Violet Salvia
You should be able to find these fairly easily in Denver next year or online. Visit this retailer page. Bumblebees LOVE this salvia!
Today at echters, 10/2/2023, at 40% off. They had three or four left around noon
HCG says to trim back 1/3 in spring but your page says cut back at end of growing season. Is that all the way to the ground? I followed HCG and only cut back 1/3 and most of the growth is from the base of the branches or first three inches and just one branch has new growth at the tips. Should I trim it back to the bulk of the new growth instead?
Not all the way to the ground. Just back to live branching tissue. I’ll get this updated on our site. Thanks!